


There Be Treasure Await'n

by spideyfreakradio



Category: Treasure Planet (2002), jim hawkins - Fandom
Genre: Action, Adventure, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pirates, Science Fiction, Treasure Hunting, originalcharacter, space, treasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 36,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideyfreakradio/pseuds/spideyfreakradio
Summary: This is a work based off my personal interpretation of events that could have taken place after the end of "Treasure Planet." Included will be adventures with Jim Hawkins as a newly graduated spacer and father figure John Silver. Note that this story will be taking creative license and might not align with other viewers interpretation of the film and its cancelled sequel and TV series. Enjoy!
Comments: 66
Kudos: 32





	1. Old Friends

John Silver opened the inn door, soaked to bone and metal. The wind blew cold air and rain into the crowded space, snuffing out some nearby candles and sending water towards nearby patrons as he closed it. Some of the aliens inside turned their heads to his entry but soon resumed their conversations, paying him no more heed. The inn was a cheap one for folk who were generally criminally involved or otherwise wanted to avoid outside attention. As such, it was darker inside, lit by some greasy lamps and open candles. Alcohol stains were littered all over the bar and tables and the floor was uncomfortably sticky. Leaving puddles behind him, John clomped over to an empty spot by the bartender. The bartender was an eel-like man whose eyes were tired-looking and hands well-calloused from years of cleaning out used glasses-something he was doing at that present moment. 

John kept his hat low and collar turned up as he spoke quietly to the bartender. "I've got comp'ny askin' for me," he murmured, arms crossed on the counter. The eel turned to him, glancing at the cyborg before resuming his cleaning. "You'll be Mr. Silver then," he said, setting his glass down and wiping his hands with the rag. John nodded his head. "Aye. I don't s'pose he's here yet?" The man picked up another glass and began filling it with contents from one of the many bottles under the bar. "The man you're looking for sits yonder," he whispered, gesturing to a shadowy figure sitting in the darkest corner of the inn. "You know of him?" He asked, passing the glass to one of the other aliens sitting at the counter. "I don't." John said, looking back at the mysterious man from the corner of his eye. "I got word from one o' me old friends tha' someone wanted to meet me here tonight. Thas him there I s'pose."

"Better go speak to him then," the bartender said, taking the rag and brushing off his side of the counter. "Just don't be causing a ruckus if you get my way o' speaking." John nodded and stood up, turning to his summoner. He cautiously made his way through tables and passed out patrons on the floor soaked in their own drink. Finally before the man, he took a seat directly across from him, not making direct eye contact. His mechanical eye examined the figure before him. The man had nice clothing, nothing too cheap. He had on a black doublet with the collar turned up and crimson gloves that were both fitted. He also wore a dark-colored handkerchief over the bottom half of his face and a tricorne hat that cast a dark shadow over his eyes. He had his arm folded on the table while the other hand held a glass that contained a clear liquid.

"Mr. Silver." Said the man, addressing him. John glanced to both sides of them before bowing his head a little. "So you's the one who asked to meet me. What do ye want?" The man set his glass down. "I have a proposition for you. One to help clear your name." John's eyes narrowed. "And why would some ol' swashbuckler want to help an outlaw like me?" The man leaned forward, light now exposing his eyes. His very familiar eyes. "Consider it returning a favor for an old friend," he said, pulling down the handkerchief and smiling. "Jimbo?!" John exclaimed, eyes widening. Jim quickly put a finger up to his lips to signal the cyborg to be quiet and leaned forward. "Hey there you old spacedog," He whispered, grinning. "What are ye doin' clear out in an ol' head like this?" John said, barely containing his surprise and joy. "T'ought ye'd be out pilotin' some clipper by now!"

Jim chuckled. "Oh, I have been. How'd you know I've been out?" At that, John smiled and pulled some news-clippings from one of the many pockets in his coat. "I've been a-watchin' ya since I left. Ye graduated from the academy a few months ago, didn't ya?" Jim nodded, looking at the circled articles about graduates from the Interstellar Space Academy. "I watched fer yer name a while now lad. Didn't t'ink I'd see it so soon though!" He said, laughing a little. "Why, it's only been three years hasn't it?" Jim nodded again, lips turning upwards into a huge grin. "I didn't know it was in the papers," he said. John collected the clippings and put them back into his pocket. "Well, what rank are ye now?" He asked. Jim looked around to make sure no one was watching before unbuttoning the top part of his coat to reveal a captain's uniform. John's eyes widened. "Well sink me lad! A cap'n and all!" Jim quickly covered up again, smiling big. "Yeah. They really liked my experience being a cabin boy. That and being a member of the crew that found Treasure Planet as well as Captain Amelia's good word. I went through the program pretty quickly."

John beamed, feeling intense pride inside him. "I told ya ye'd go far, didn't I?" He said, smiling. Jim's grin softened. "You sure did Silver." He looked at John. "I've really missed you." He said. John's shoulders slumped a little. "I've missed ya too lad. Not a day goes by t'at I don't t'ink 'bout ya. I'da liked to 'ave written but..." He looked around. "I'm with this crowd. I'm a wanted man." Jim nodded. "I know. But that's partially why I'm here." He leaned in. "Something big has happened. Something I'm involved in. And I've convinced my superiors and higher authorities that your aid would be crucial in my current mission." His eyes were filled with excitement and hope. "I gave a testimony of what happened on the R. S. Legacy. They are willing to pardon you of your past criminal record if you'll help me." John opened his mouth in confusion, eyebrows drawing to each other. "What do ye mean Jimbo? What's 'appened?" Jim looked around. "I can't explain that here. Too many eavesdroppers. But I can tell you all about it back on my ship." 

John paused, looked at his mechanical arm in thought. "Ye're sure there'll won't be any o' yer spacers on me tail?" Jim gave a small smile. "I can almost guarantee it. I can explain more later. Do you trust me?" The cyborg closed his eyes and chuckled, then opened them again. "Aye, lad. I trust ye." Jim grinned, pulling the handkerchief back over his face, and motioned for John to follow him.

The two walked for a few minutes through the rainy night, exchanging carefree banter before reaching a longboat parked close to the darkened shops nearby. They hopped on, sailing through the atmosphere of the planet and out into space. Soon, Jim pointed out his ship, floating in the distance. "Well, bless me Jimbo! Don't ye have yerself a mighty fine spacer!" John exclaimed. Jim laughed. "She's a good old thing." After pulling into the ship and securing the boat, Jim escorted the cyborg to the captain's quarters.

"So a lot has happened since Treasure Planet's demise and now. Namely many discoveries." Jim sat at his desk and pulled up a chair for John. "When the planet began self destruct, it didn't rid itself of its treasure." The cyborg gave a look of confusion. "How can that be Jimbo? We saw it wit our own eyes!" Jim pulled out some notes from a drawer. "Not exactly. You remember the portal, don't you?" John nodded. "Well turns out that wasn't the only one. There was another lining the interior spaces of the mechanism. When everything started coming down, the gold spilled over the sides, like we saw. It spilled into those portals." John leaned back in his chair. "So...where be it then?" Jim referred to the many pages scattered on his desk. "We don't really know. We consulted B.E.N. and all he can gather is that old Flint took a lot of precautions with his treasure. What it looks like is that it's all been scattered to the edges of our galaxy and beyond."

John didn't say anything for a moment; he just had his mouth hanging open in shock. "Jimbo...are ye sayin' what I t'ink you're sayin'? All t'at treasure is still out there?" Jim smiled. "Exactly. In fact..." He ducked below his desk and pulled out a large chest. "We've already found some." He opened it to reveal brilliantly glowing trabloons, rubies, diamonds, and other magnificent jewels, all cozied up inside. John's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Jim spoke. "We've made an agreement with the federation. They'll fund our voyages and crew and we'll find the lost treasure. When we do, we split the profit 50-50. Fifty for them and the rest for us." John looked up at Jim and smiled. "And you want me ta help ye?" The boy nodded. "Well Jimbo, yev'e got yerself a deal. When do we start?" Jim smiled. "Tomorrow. From now on, I'd like you to be my Third Officer." John laughed. "O' course lad! And da sooner we leave, da better!"

"Let me show you to your quarters," Jim said, holding the door for the cyborg. "T'ank ye Jimbo. Now uh, do yer superiors know I'm wit ya t'en?" Jim walked down the stairs towards the officer's rooms. "I'll let 'em know tonight. There are some conditions they'll want when we start, but all they told me is that I'm to keep a close eye on you and report back to them whenever possible. Captain Amelia and Doc. Doppler were supposed to be in charge of this whole thing, but with four kids...it doesn't work so well. So they exchange babysitting and go on expeditions every few weeks or so until the little ones are old enough to work as cabin hands. That puts me in command of this mission." John chuckled. "Prob'ly for the best, lad. I dun t'ink our ol' capn's too keen about me not servin' a jail sentence." Jim shrugged. "I think she's kinda over it at this point. Your crew-mates served their time and are on parole right now I believe. You get the nice way out." John laughed again. "T'at I do Jim, t'at I do." 

Jim showed the cyborg to his room. "Here you are," he said, handing over a key. I'll let the crew know you're with us tomorrow." Jim smiled. "Glad you're here," he said. John's face sunk into one of that fatherly affection he had those years ago. He held out his arms and Jim came into them, and they hugged each other tightly. "Me too, Jimbo. Bless ye for finding me lad." Jim looked up at him and they released each other. "See ya in ta mornin' Capn." John said smiling. Jim returned the grin and left the cabin, closing the heavy door behind him. John walked to the bed and settled into it. "Bless ye me lad," he said, drifting off to sleep.

To be continued.


	2. Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen!

Day broke early the next morning bringing gentle breezes into the Etherium, calmly rocking the R. L. S. Adventurer to and fro. Jim stood atop the deck next to the rail where a wolf-alien was manning the helm, keeping the ship on course. John came up the steps to greet him, limping slightly on his mechanical leg, chuckling as he reached the top. "Ahoy there, Jimbo," he said, walking over to him. Jim had his arms folded behind him and Morph flew out of his trouser pocket at the sound of the cyborg's voice, excitedly chittering and purring. "Ar, Morphy ye ol' picaroon! It's good ta see ye!" He exclaimed, cuddling the pink blob. "Sorry I didn't bring him yesterday. I figured he'd draw too much attention," said Jim, stepping over to John. "Aw, for sure he would lad. T'a little rapscallion's a tricky fellow," he said, chuckling as the shape-shifter crooned.

Jim peered over the rail and motioned for someone to come up. "Silver, I'd like you to meet my second officer, Mr. Onyx." A cragorian appeared at the bottom of the steps and gracefully marched up them to stand by Jim's side. "Captain," he said, tipping his hat to him. "Mr. Onyx, this is Mr. Silver. He's agreed to sail with us," Jim said, nodding to John. The cyborg tipped his hat to Mr. Onyx. "Pleasure ta be a'meetin' ye Mr. Onyx, sir," He said, giving a little bow. Onyx nodded, seemingly wary of their new crew member, but attempting to retain civil politeness in their first encounter. "Pleasure indeed sir," he replied in a deep voice. Onyx turned to Jim, hands folded behind him. "Shall I prepare the crew for launch, Captain?" Jim nodded with a small smile. "If you would, Mr. Onyx."

Onyx turned back down to the stairs and disappeared into the crew's quarters. John turned to Jim. "Well lad, let me get a good look at ye, I didn't get ta yesterday," he said, already looking him over. Jim straightened, turning to face the cyborg fully. "You've grown, haven't ye? New haircut too! How old be ye now?" Jim smiled. "Turning twenty-two in a few months," he said. "Blimey that's young for a capn' ain't it?" John exclaimed. "Admiral Amelia was twenty when she started," Jim replied. "Well I guess that does it t'en," Silver laughed. The rest of the crew came spilling out from below deck and headed to their respective stations. Onyx stood at the foot of the stairs and began yelling out orders.

"Tighten the sails, men! Disengage anchors!" He hollered, watching various crew members dash around up the ratlines and onto the yardarms of the ship. Jim turned to the wolfish alien at the helm. "North by North-East Mr. Avery at zero-three-three." Avery nodded, adjusting the wheel with an "Aye, Captain, zero-three-three." The ship shifted forward, causing a few loose barrels to fall backward on the main deck and roll all different directions. Many of the crew began stepping down from their stations and whooping at their departure, moving to their separate tasks. 

"We'll be headed to some of the outermost planets of the galaxy," Jim started. "We discovered the chest by detecting the metal used to build Treasure Planet-based off what we've already found, each amount of gold will go to one spot and one spot only on each planet, so it should hopefully be easy enough to find it." He looked at Silver out the corner of his eye. "The difficult part will be retrieving it." John gave a questioning look. "Why's that?" He asked. "Last time we had a bad run-in with the undiscovered native life there. We got out all right, but it's a good warning for us in the future. Most of the places we'll be going to are places that we and the Procyon haven't explored thoroughly." Silver hummed. "Well, more adventure for ta two of us, right Jimbo?" He said. "Definitely," Jim replied. 

"So who t'ought ta look for the metal-?" John started, but he was interrupted by a metal blur dashing up the steps. "CAPTAIN! I located the NEXT couple of planets to GO to!" Shouted a robot. It took John a second to realize that it was the crazy android that Jim found back on Treasure Planet, now all buffed up and hopping about in front of them waving some parchment. "B.E.N. did," Jim announced, taking the crinkled papers that were being shoved into his hands. "Thanks, B.E.N." Jim said, scanning the maps that the robot drew up for him. "Sure thing Captain Jimmy SIR!" He hollered, jumping back down the stairs. Jim looked over at John. "He's our main navigator." The cyborg laughed. "Energetic as ever too!" He said watching B.E.N. run into the officer's quarters. Jim chuckled. 

Stars passed them by and the solar sails flared, taking in their energy. Silver clapped Jim on the back. "Mighty fine position ye got yerself inta. You've dun a great t'ing wid yerself." He said, looking down at him. "Thanks Silver," the boy replied, giving John a small smile. 

Jim turned to face the ship. "Set course for Irenia men!"

To be continued.


	3. Just a Little Palaver

The morning was full of getting acquainted with the various crew members on board. Many of them were friends of Jim's from the academy getting experience performing at the crew's separate posts (one of the things necessary for pursuing a career as a high-ranking official). The ship itself was in fine condition and slightly larger than the R.L.S. Legacy with two cabin boys that kept it wonderfully clean and organized. There was a stark contrast between Jim's friends and the rest of the crew, the rest of which were all senior spacers from different reaches of the galaxy who had volunteered to be participants for the Treasure Planet voyage.

After speaking with the cook (an older cat-like alien by the name Francis), John headed up to the top deck where Jim was conversing with B.E.N. and Onyx. "Tis a fine day for sailin' me lads," he said, coming to stand by the trio. Morph flew from Jim's shoulder, coming to say hello to the cyborg. The boy smiled and nodded. "Looks like our route today is going to be a clear one," he remarked, looking out at the bright Etherium. Onyx nodded in agreement. "Hopefully that will help us pass to Irenia quickly," the cragorian spoke in a gravelly voice. "Oh, yeah! We'll be going really fast! B.E.N. said. "By my calculations, we should be there in just a few days!"

Onyx looked over at Jim. "Excuse me Captain while I write my report," he said with a tip of his hat. Jim nodded and Onyx returned the gesture in thanks and headed down to his quarters. When he was out of earshot, John leaned over to Jim. "Reminds me of Mr. Arrow," he said quietly. The boy frowned a little, putting his hands in his pockets, eyebrows furrowing. "That's his nephew."

"Ah," John replied. "That explains it then." B.E.N. said something about needing to check on the current coordinates and left, leaving Jim and John alone on deck.

"So, what have you been up to these last few years?" Jim questioned, looking up at John. "Do I wanna know?" The cyborg laughed. "Left me life o' piracy Jimbo, no needs worry 'bout that. Just been in a small smuggling ring, tryin' to sail as much as possible. What about you, lad? How was the academy?" Jim smiled. "It was pretty good. Mainly just a lot of drills and experience training. Captain Amelia has taken up teaching there while she and the Doc manage their kids." John chuckled, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Smart lad ye are. Potential ain't lost on ye."

The rest of the day passed quickly while Jim and Silver caught each other up on their lives from their years apart, telling stories and sharing more than a few laughs. Soon, they heard Francis calling the crew for supper. By the time they reached the galley, most everyone else was there, tucking into their meals and chatting. Jim and John took a seat next to Onxy, B.E.N., and Francis who were all at the bench nearest the kitchen.

"Mighty fine dish ye got here Franny," John said, taking another bite of his dinner. "Thank you kindly!" The cook responded with a hearty laugh. "The Captain here tells me that you were chef back on the Legacy! Maybe you'd like to join me for a little cook-off sometime," the cat offered. John chuckled. "Well who'd be a humble cook ta decline a challenge like that," the cyborg remarked jovially. Suddenly, the two cabin boys (an 18-year old human and a 19-year old lion alien) both leaped onto their table with mugs of purp juice and began dancing and singing. Within minutes, most of the crew were joining them in caroling, spurring the teenagers on as they pranced about the galley. Jim started to clap in time, laughing at the boys and their antics.

_Of all the comrades that e'er I had_   
_They're sorry for my going away_   
_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had_   
_They'd wish me one more day to stay_

The cabin boys continued their song, drink sloshing from their glasses. John laughed hard and loud, cheering for the lads as they began their next tune. "Never woulda happened on ol' Capn' Amelia's ship!" He said loudly to Jim, watching the boys jump around in circles as the crew cheered and whooped. Jim leaned over, still clapping. "It's good to be with them and allow this kinda thing. Keeps the crew's spirits up," the lad remarked with a huge grin on his face.

The room erupted in laughter as the boys, missing their step, crashed into each other, spilling purp juice all over themselves. Momentarily stunned, they stared at each other with blank expressions on their faces before they pointed at each other and joined in on the laughter. Onyx, who at this point had remained mostly quiet and unenthused allowed a small smile to cross his face before leaving over to Jim. "About time to pack in Captain?" He questioned quietly. The boy checked the hanging clock on the wall opposite him. "Yeah, I guess so," he said, beginning to stand.

In a loud voice, Onyx addressed the crew. "Off to bed, men. Quickly now," He said, escorting them out. There were a few groans of disappointment and words of thanks to the cook as the crew left in groups of two or three, all heading to their quarters, leaving Francis, Jim, John, B.E.N., and the cabin boys in the galley.

The boys and Francis swiftly began clearing the tables as the remaining guests sipped mugs of hot chocolate, taking the moment to chat a little before bed. "Well Jimbo, I haven't had that much fun in ages," John remarked, setting his mug down with a smile on his face. "Jim grinned, setting down his own drink and moving to sit closer to the cyborg. "Those rascals start this up almost every night," he said chuckling. "It's great fun," he added as the younger of the two came over to collect plates from them. Jim winked at him as the boy picked up the dishes and the lad returned the gesture with a grin.

"Yeah, Jimmy is WAY funner than other captains," B.E.N. chimed in. "Now FLINT! That guy was SO unpredictable. One minute we'd be having a good time with him, the next he'd be shooting at the walls! CRAZY!" He half yelled, causing Jim and John to laugh. "Well no wonder he was always havin' to find new crew-mates," Silver said, smiling and wiping a tear from his eye. "He was always shootin' at 'em!" He chuckled. Finished with their drinks, the trio left the galley after thanking Francis and his boys, making their way to their rooms.

"Well Jimbo," said John, clapping the boy on the back. "I could get used to this lad!" Jim smiled up at him. "I could too."

To be continued


	4. Planet Ho!

The following week passed smoothly with little trouble, and for Jim, they were some of the best days he had had since leaving the Benbow Inn to start training at the academy. While he did well after that fateful voyage years ago-building a better reputation for himself and graduating with honors and becoming one of the youngest captains to boot-he had missed Silver terribly. He never forgot the cyborg's faith in him and what he could accomplish, but it wasn't the same as having the pirate around. Now living with John again, he was in a better mood and felt more confident as a leader. It showed. Onyx approached him in concern the fourth day after John's arrival; not used to seeing Jim so merry, and was pleasantly surprised when learning the reason for his contentment.

It was early morning-most of the crew weren't even awake yet. The dark side of the Etherium still lingered and the ship's lamps were still lit. Jim stepped out from his cabin and walked to the bowsprit. With the skill of an experienced sailor, he crept up its planks and perched on its point. Jim loved this time to himself. All alone in space, the wind blowing around him, the mysterious and entrancing sights of the stars...it was so serene. It was easy to see why he had always been so attracted to this way of life. He gripped a rope tied to the bow and sat, letting one leg swing under him. He closed his eyes and just breathed. It was so peaceful. He stayed there for what seemed like a half-hour before stepping down from it. There was nothing like a morning rewind. 

Jim returned to his stateroom and looked over the maps laid out on his desk. Based on B.E.N.'s predictions and weather forecasts, he anticipated arriving at their destination in a few hours, and if they were, he'd have to begin preparations. It had already been agreed that Onyx would stay back with half the crew while Jim, John, B.E.N., and the other half of the crew would venture to the planet's surface. The ones chosen to go with him were already aware and should have packed for it, so all that was left to do was for Francis to arrange food rations for the group as well as organizing their weaponry. Jim looked down at his outfit. It was a fitted blue and white navy coat with dark slacks and boots-good for commanding the ship, but not for exploration. He walked to his cabin and changed, wanting to be ready to leave as soon as he could. A beige tunic and black trousers were grabbed from his closet as well as a thin overcoat. 

As Jim pulled out his desired clothing, a dark jacket fell from one of the hangars onto the closet floor. He bent to pick it up. It was the same one he had worn so much before Treasure Planet. He remembered the first time he had really worn it. It belonged to his father, something he abandoned before he left. Sarah said he had meant to throw it away, that it was too small and too old, but Jim's eight-year-old self clung to it like it were the only thing in the universe, a reminder of the man he wanted in his life but never had. Over the years it had become a shelter for him, and he treated it like a barrier between himself and the world. He wore it almost constantly, up until he met Silver. Then everything changed.

He smiled softly, holding the jacket in his hands before hanging it back up in the closet. He didn't know why he brought it, but he did. It held little to no meaning for him now. He sighed, changing out of his Captain's apparel and into his chosen outfit.

When he stepped out from his cabin, he was greeted by laughing from the galley, recognizing the voices of Silver and Francis. He walked down the stairs and saw the two men in the kitchen, each cooking and delightfully chatting with each other. Francis turned to see Jim entering the space and smiled, offering a small bow. "Captain! What brings you to my humble galley so early this morning?" The boy smiled and walked over to one of the barrels, meaning to grab a purp, before watching it transform to an eager Morph, chattering and zooming around his head. "Hey, Francis. I think we'll be landing today, so I'll need some ration bags ready for the crew to pack," Jim said, tickling the pink blob. "My pleasure Captain," the cat said, turning back to his cooking. 

Silver hummed. "Ye came right in the nick o' time Jimbo! We was just finishin' our little cookin' competition. Figured we'd treat the crew ta a nice breakfast," he said, gesturing for the boy to come over. Jim saw that on the counters were an assortment of different foods all near ready for eating, sending wonderful aromas out into the kitchen. He breathed in the smells and smiled, sighing, and letting out an "Mmmm." John dried his hands on his apron and clapped the boy on the back. "Yessir, today'll be a good day fer eatin it will," the cyborg remarked, looking proudly at the grub set out in front of them. "The question is, who's the better cook?" Francis questioned from the other side of the kitchen. "That's what we're goin' ta find out!" John laughed, pulling out some plates from the cupboards.

Within the next half-hour, all the tables were set with utensils, drink, and food, hot and ready to eat. Francis rang the breakfast bell, and minutes later, the entire crew were down and seated, mouths watering at the sight before them. The clang and dings of silverware against plates echoed among the morning chatter of the group, delightfully digging into their meals with pleasure. Most everyone stayed at the same table with the same group on-board, so once again, Jim found himself dining with Francis, John, Onyx, and B.E.N. 

"Wonderful fare this morning, gentlemen," Onyx remarked, delicately smearing purp jam onto a muffin. Jim smiled, chewing on a bite of blue egg. "Definitely. Wouldn't turn this up any day," he said, allowing Morph to eat a morsel of the quiche on his plate. "I think we'll have to consider this a draw, my friend," Francis chuckled, looking over at John. "Aye, I'ma thinkin' we will. Everything seems ta be well liked!" The cyborg said, glancing around at the other tables. "Does this mean you'll have to do another cook-off?" Jim asked hopefully, taking a sip of his coffee. The chefs laughed, both agreeing that they should, but only after picking up more food at the next closest port. 

Breakfast was tidied up quickly, each crew member leaving comfortably full with sincere words of thanks to Francis and John. The cat got to work assembling ration bags while everyone else went back up on deck. Onyx called together the aliens chosen to go on planet for a meeting where Jim discussed their plan of action-at the end of which a loud voice called out from the crow's nest.

"Planet ho! Planet ho!" The lookout called, pointing ahead with his glass in his hands. The crew shouted and whooped, sprinting to the sides of the ship to find a good view. Jim and Silver ran up the bowsprit to see the mass in front of them better. There it was, a cloudy orb of luscious greens and blues hovering delicately in the Etherium. "There it is, men! Irenia!" Jim yelled. "Those boarding with me, you know who you are! Get ready, we leave in twenty minutes!" He said loudly, watching the respective crew members scattering to their quarters to retrieve their bags and equipment. "The rest of you, prepare ship for atmosphere dock!" The boy called out. Silver chuckled. "Ye really are made ta be a leader Jimbo," he said, stepping down from the bow. Jim jumped down after him, grinning. 

"Mr.Onyx!" The boy said, cupping a hand around his mouth. The cragorian turned to face him. "Yes, Captain?" 

"We'll be needing weapons for these men!" Jim called. "Of course, Captain," Onyx replied, pulling a key from his belt and walking to the gunroom. For the next fifteen minutes, the crew ran about, collecting rations from Francis and swords or guns from Onyx and anything else they'd been asked to bring on the expedition. Finally, they were all boarded on three of the four longboats in the departure hull, sailing out to the surface of the planet. John, Jim, B.E.N., and two others were in a boat, leading the others through the atmosphere until they landed carefully on a wide patch of land. 

Jim got out first, making sure all longboats were secure before directing the crew forward. B.E.N. had their detection device and was able to pinpoint a location for them to follow. The planet was a lush one, full of greenery and foliage that grew all over the surface of the world, providing a soft ground to walk on. Reaching the edge of a forest, Jim looked up at John. 

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, lad."


	5. You Belong Among the Wildflowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you're enjoying this story, then maybe you'll like this other Treasure Planet thing I'm working on. Hope to see you there, and thanks for reading!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124029/chapters/60871402

Jim and Silver hacked away at the leaves and branches ahead of them, sweat wetting their faces as they made their way through the dense forests of Irenia. The crew had been hiking through an overgrown valley for the majority of the morning and afternoon, and everyone was tired. "Hey, B.E.N., how close are we?" Jim asked, huffing. "Approximately four-point-seven leagues Captain Jimmy sir!" The robot replied, typing away at his navigation plate. "Maybe we should just camp out for the night," the brunette murmured, looking around at the (for once) semi-clear area around them. John looked up through the canopy at the sky where daylight was fading. "Aye Jimbo, if we want to stop, then now's the time," he said, lowering his blade.

Jim turned to face the line of crew-members trailing behind them with packs on their backs, cupping a hand around his mouth. "Halt, men! We set camp here!" He called, sheathing his sword. There were numerous sighs of relief as the aliens dropped their bags to the ground, moving to unroll blankets, unload food, and gather firewood. Within a half-hour, sleeping bags were set up, a fire was lit, and food had begun to cook, sending wonderful aromas out around them. When everyone was finishing their dinners, John moved himself next to Jim, closer to the fire. "Well, lads, who wants ta hear a story or two?" He asked with a smile. There were whoops around the circle in an affirmative and the cyborg began his tales.

When Silver ended his stories, another crew-mate would tell one of his own. So, an hour later, there they were listening to a bird-alien recount an experience he had traversing through a circus in a drunken stupor, bringing more than a few laughs from the audience. John leaned over to Jim, grinning as he watched the crew-mate act out his story. "This here is easily ta best crew I've ever traveled with Jimbo. Lucky lad ye are to have such fine men," he remarked. The boy smiled softly. "Yeah. Pretty lucky," he said quietly.

Soon enough, the fire was put out and the company was all fast asleep until morning came creeping a few hours later. Jim awoke to Morph prodding his face and decided that it was time to leave after viewing the passing daylight. Breakfast was eaten, and the group was off again, climbing farther into the mountainsides of the planet. Within hours, B.E.N. was hollering in excitement and pointing at his navigation plate. "We're practically here, Captain, just over this hill!!" He shouted, jumping from foot to foot. Jim turned to the crew, who had all stopped behind him, catching their breath. "Mr. Norton, Mr. Hadley," he said, calling for their attention. A leopard alien and a large muscular reptilian raised their heads. "Come with us. We'll scout the area."

The group hiked to the top of the hillside, finally out of the thick brush of the forests, and peered over it. "There," Jim said, pointing. At the bottom of the hill, laying in a bed of large flowers were four chests covered in glittering dust. They began sliding down the mountain before Norton stopped them, reaching a lithe arm out in front of Jim. "Captain, I recognize these plants. They are on my home planet and are very dangerous," he said in a thick accent, a worried look on his face. Jim looked at him. "What do they do?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing. The leopard grabbed a long stick next to them and slid down a little further and began prodding at one of the flowers. At the third poke, the petals of the plant opened wide and grasped the stick, cutting it almost cleanly in half as it consumed it. John gulped.

"They are a species of venus fly-trap...responsible for many a death and injury to children where I'm from," Norton said quietly, scooting back up to the group. "So, how are we gonna get the treasure?" Hadley asked, looking at his Captain. Jim rested his chin in his hand for a moment and said nothing as he gazed down at the chests. He looked at his crew-mates, a thoughtful look on his face. "Go find some sticks. Long sturdy ones, like the ones for javelins." He said, pulling out his cutlass. Norton and Hadley saluted him, and with an "Aye Captain," they had disappeared back over the other side of the hill. "Whatcha plannin' Jimbo?" John asked, holding a chattering Morph in his flesh hand. "We need to make hooks. We can use them to grab the chest handles and lift them up. I think the flowers are only provoked by continuous movement," he said, grabbing a thick piece of log and whittling it. Silver nodded and extended out his carving tools on his cyborg arm and began making his own hook.

By the time Norton and Hadley returned, the hooks were finished and ready for use. They tied them to the ends of the sticks with rope and crept down to the bottom of the hill. "C-Captain-I'm not so sure this is a great idea," B.E.N. said worriedly, remaining further up the mountain. "Well, B.E.N., what else do you propose we do?" Jim asked, extending one of the hooks close to the nearest chest. The robot gave no reply. Hadley took the pole's end and curled the hook around the chest's handle and lifted it up, allowing Norton to slide a narrow plank of wood under it. Hadley began pulling the chest toward them, and soon it was within reach. "Good," Jim said, working with Silver to get the next one. "One down, three to go."

They huffed as they brought the second and third chests over, setting them behind them as they did. John wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and angled the pole to the last chest. Jim and Norton carefully placed the plank underneath it and helped Silver pull the heavy box to them. "Okay, good," Jim said, breathing heavily. "Let's bring these back." B.E.N. and Norton carried one chest while Hadley carried his own and John and Jim brought the third. When they reached the top of the hill, their captain stopped them. "Go get some help. Silver and I will go get the last one and leave this one here," he said, setting down his cargo. The men nodded and headed back down to the crew while Jim and John went back to the last chest.

"Here, I'm going to salvage this rope, can you start carrying that one?" The brunette asked, grabbing a pole and untying its twine. "O' course," the cyborg replied, taking hold of the chest. Morph chattered, trying to help hold it from underneath. When Silver was half-way up the hill, he set the box down to take a break, looking behind him at Jim. He was working on the last pole, putting the remaining rope into his pockets. "You 'bout ready there Jimbo?" He asked, stretching his back. "Yeah," he called, beginning to stand. As he did, one of the sticks slid down to the flowers. Almost immediately, the petals hooked around it and started sucking it in-tripping Jim in the process.

The boy fell, catching himself on his hands as a vine from underneath the leaves sprung out and curled itself around his leg. Jim felt himself being dragged and tried to grab onto something, anything, but all he could feel was grass. _"Jimbo!"_ He heard John yell. Jim flipped himself onto his back and pulled his cutlass from its sheath, trying to hack at the vines pulling him. Now close enough to the flowers, one of the petals bent towards him and latched onto his leg. The boy tried to suppress a cry of pain as minuscule teeth from the plant bore into his skin, causing blood to drip down onto the leaves and grass. He hacked and cut at the vines and petal, trying to free himself before a sword came crashing down right in front of his foot, severing the plant's hold on him. Jim felt a large hand hook under his arm and pull him away from the flowers and up the hill a good distance before looking up to see John.

They stopped once they were relatively far from the still-tossing plants, breathing heavily as they paused. Jim looked down at his ankle and saw the rest of the petal still digging into his flesh and took hold of it, mentally preparing himself for the pain.

1...

2...

3-

He tore the thing away and gasped as his leg burned in agony, watching as more blood spilled from his wounds onto the hillside. John crouched right behind him, eyes widening as he saw the cuts and gashes running from the boy's ankle to his knee. "Hold on lad," he murmured anxiously, circling around to kneel in front of Jim, pulling out a handkerchief and bottle. "What's that?" Jim asked, watching the cyborg uncork the small flask. "Whiskey," he replied. The boy raised an eyebrow. Silver smiled a little at his expression and shook his head. "I don't drink lad, it ain't for that. Now, hold yer breath, this is gonna hurt," he said, holding the bottle over the bleeding leg. Jim's eyes widened a little as he realized what John was doing, and he clenched his teeth hard. The flask tipped.

The pain was worse than the actual bite itself, the burning was horrific, sending throbbing waves up and down his body. Jim tried not to make a sound but a cry of agony escaped him, and his hands were clenched so hard the knuckles were white. He couldn't tell how long Silver took pouring the alcohol over his leg, but it must only have been a few seconds. The thing wasn't very large. Jim shut his eyes and felt cloth dabbing at the puncture wounds and opened them to see John tying the handkerchief around his ankle where the wounds were deepest. "Okay lad, up ye get," the cyborg said, standing and holding his arms out for the boy to take. Jim stood, but as soon as he let go of Silver's arms, his leg gave way and he collapsed. "Alright, uh...here, put yer arm 'round my shoulder, there ye go," John said, bending down. Jim felt the ursid's mechanical arm wrap around his back and the boy did his best to lift his hand up to grasp the cyborg's shoulder.

The two hobbled up the hill while Morph curled up on Jim's shoulder, cuddling his neck worriedly. After walking over the crest of the hillside, they heard a frantic cry from the bottom. "CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN, YOU'RE HURT, OH NO-!" Jim looked up to see B.E.N. hurtling towards them and quickly held up a hand to stop the robot. "I'm fine B.E.N., really, calm down," he said, feeling John's eyes on him. He didn't look at the cyborg but could definitely imagine the judgmental look the ursid was probably giving him. "Look, can you have Mr. Hadley go get the other chest? It's just over the hill," he asked, continuing down to the rest of the crew. "I-uh, yes-I'll do that," B.E.N. said, hurrying past them.

When they finally reached the bottom, murmurs of worry and concern for Jim were voiced among the crew as they helped the two settle down on some makeshift benches, anxiously asking how to help and what else to do. Their Captain held up a hand and the whispers ceased. "I'm alright, or at least I will be. You weren't kidding about those weeds," he said, looking at Norton, who simply shook his head, frowning. "Anyhow, we got the treasure, and that's what matters." Jim looked up at the sky where the light was fading. "Now, who's gonna start the fire?" He asked with a small smile. Volunteers immediately got to work preparing dinner, leaving Jim and John to their own devices.

"So. How much?" Silver asked quietly. "What?" The brunette questioned, looking at the cyborg. "How much does it hurt?" Jim frowned a little. "I never said it did." John raised an eyebrow. "So, if I were to poke it right now, it wouldn't be painful?" The boy didn't say anything and looked at his leg.

"Look, Jimbo, I understand bein' tough and not wantin' ta be whiny, but with a wound like this, ye gotta tell somebody if it's hurtin'," John said softly, peering over at the lad.

Jim sighed. "Okay. It-it is kind of hurting...it's better than it was." John nodded. "Do ye think ye could walk on it?" The boy slowly shook his head.

"Alright, then. I'm gonna go get ye some food. Don't move." The cyborg said, getting up. Jim sighed. He smiled as Morph settled into his hands, changing into a mini-Silver chanting "Don't move, don't move."

John returned with a small bowl of stew and some dried meat which Jim ate gratefully. That night, everyone went to bed quickly and quietly out of concern and respect for their Captain, and by the morning, they were seemingly well-rested and ready to go. John (having gotten up early) had fashioned the boy a crude walking stick to use, which proved to be tremendously helpful. On the way back, Jim and John stayed in the middle of the group to give the lad an easier walking pace and instead had Norton lead them back to the longboats. There were a few instances where Jim had struggled to continue walking, so in those moments, John helped the boy continue on the same way they had done on the hill. Faster than they came, the company reached the skiffs and loaded everything up, carefully tying down their precious cargo.

Jim climbed into a longboat, getting ready to sit at the controls when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "I think it's best if I drive Jimbo," the cyborg said, stepping into the skiff. "I-" the boy began, catching the look on John's face. "Yeah. Okay," he said quietly, moving over. "Thank ye," Silver said, pressing some buttons and gently lifting the space-craft up. "Ye know, yer much easier to manage now than ye were as a cabin boy," the cyborg joked, peering over at Jim. "Oh, really?" The lad questioned slyly. "I can be difficult if you want me to. You know. Like old times." The boy said, smiling mischievously. "Stars almighty, no!" John said, laughing. "Besides, ye got that Cap'n reputation ta keep up. Can't have any o' that rebellin' now!" Jim chuckled at that. "Oh, you'd be surprised at the rules I break, old man."

Finally pulling into the deploy dock, the rest of the crew helped unload everything and bring it up-deck. Onyx fussed over Jim's injury for a solid half-hour until both he and Silver waved him off-he wasn't _dying_ after all.

At last, the chests were carried up near the cabins where one of the crew-mates busted their locks. "Well, gentlemen? Let's see what our rewards are," said Jim, pulling open the lids. The crew whooped and cheered at the sight of glittering drabloons and solar-crystals nestled inside, glowing with layers of dust atop them. "Pretty good, I think. Well done, all!" Their Captain said cheerfully. "I think it's time to take this to the Federation. Mr. Onyx, please direct our course for Montressor Spaceport!"


	6. Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you're enjoying this story, then maybe you'll like this other Treasure Planet thing I'm working on. Hope to see you there, and thanks for reading!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124029/chapters/60871402

It took only a few short weeks to sail to Montressor Spaceport. Over that time, Jim's leg had healed and the treasure's worth had been calculated and divided accordingly for the crew and the Federation. After they delivered the gold, the crew would be allowed to take their portion of the riches. So, finally, there they were, approaching the crescent docking-port, and the men were running about, preparing to land. It was nearing night, and the daylight was fading, so they naturally were in a rush. 

"Engage anchors! Shut down all solar fields!" Mr. Onyx yelled from the quarterdeck. Jim stood beside him, running a hand through his hair as he observed his mates performing their duties. John was leaning over the rails a few feet away, watching the ship near their dock, almost anxiously looking at the Federal guards awaiting them as Morph tittered around his head carelessly. 

Jim glanced behind him and saw the cyborg worriedly peeking at the Naval men catching the anchor ropes the crew was throwing down and chuckled. 

"Don't worry about them. They know," he said with a sly grin. Silver looked over at the boy and moved to stand by him. "Now, whoever said I was worried, lad?" He asked, clearing his throat. "Whoever said I was worried?" Morph chanted, giggling. Jim just shook his head and smiled. 

"Reef the sails! Secure them, smartly now!" The cragorian boomed, cupping a hand around his mouth. "Hey, I can take over from here. Could you go get the gold?" Jim asked, tossing a key to Onyx. "Of course, Captain," he replied, tipping his hat as he turned to the stairs. The boy called out orders until the ship was properly docked and fastened, allowing Silver a good look at the spaceport. Not much had changed since his last visit years ago on the Legacy, apart from the added security he noticed set around the outskirts of the city. Speaking of which-

Four guards and a Naval officer boarded the ship, standing near the swing guns. Jim stepped down from the quarterdeck to meet them. As he came closer, he recognized the officer as one of the senior residents from the academy, a candid that he had grown close to. He quickened his pace to meet him.

"Hey, Barlow!" He said jovially, holding out a hand. The canine shook it, pulling the boy forward to clap him on the back. "How have you been, old man?" Barlow straightened his jacket and grinned, adjusting his glasses. "Oh, same old Jim, same old. I volunteered to pick up your cargo, thought it might be nice to see my old pupil." The boy laughed. "Well, it's sure nice to see you. Oh-" Jim said, looking to see Onyx emerging from the stateroom with two chests under each arm. He motioned for his first-mate to come over, helping take the chests and setting them at the guards feet. "Here's this," the lad said, handing Barlow a small stack of papers from his coat pocket. "A cumulative report of our findings as well as our gathered total."

The canine took the parchment, holding his glasses as he skimmed the first page. "I trust your documented review of Mr. Silver is entailed?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sure is," the boy replied, folding his hands behind his back. "Very good. Well then, would you sirs kindly take our cargo to our ship? I have some matters I would like to discuss with the Captain," Barlow said, motioning to the guards, who promptly took the chests and headed to the deck ramp.

Barlow looked back at Jim and Onyx. "I need to speak with you both-in private. Do you have a place?" The cragorian leaned down a little. "The stateroom, perhaps?" Jim nodded and they started up the stairs. "Should Mr. Silver be here too?" The boy asked, stopping outside the door as he removed a key from his belt. The canine sighed. "That depends. How well do you trust the man?" Jim's face hardened a little. "I trust him with my life." He responded sternly. Barlow sighed again. "If you're sure..."

"Silver!" Jim called, cupping a hand around his mouth. The cyborg started down the stairs, tipping his hat as he did. "Aye, Cap'n?" The boy motioned for the ursid to join them, and John clomped over their way, a wary look on his face as he caught a glimpse of the candid. 

Taking one last peek at the deck, Jim locked the door and turned to face his company. "What did you want to tell us?" He asked, looking at Barlow. The man stole a glance at John before wiping his glasses worriedly. "The Federation is concerned about the safety of this ongoing mission of yours, as am I." He paused, clearing his throat. "We are inclined to believe that word has got out about the nature of the expedition." Jim's eyebrows furrowed. "What makes you say that?" 

Barlow sighed. "After your last voyage and gold deposit, the team delivering the treasure to our Admiral was ambushed. We had made everything as inconspicuous as possible, the only legitimate reasons for the attack would be that it was either completely random, or they knew what we carried and had a calculated means of seizing it. Not that they succeeded, though." He added. "Never underestimate the fury of a rabbit," he said with a shudder. "That's why there's extra security here then, huh?" Jim said nodding his head towards the spaceport. Barlow nodded. 

The canine cleared his throat. "The Federation wanted to replace you with their own selected crew and Captain for this mission after that incident, but myself and many colleagues argued against it. I feel as if the people closest to the previous voyage-the ones we can trust-" he began, ignoring Silver as he made a choking sound. "Are the ones most suited for this one. I also believe that you are a fine spacer, one of the best the Academy has, and ever will see." He said, looking at Jim. "So, we elected to keep you with it. Our only advice is that you protect yourself. You already have one of the fastest ships in our fleet, but we have better cannons and weaponry here if you feel inclined to take them. I hope you will."

Jim nodded. "I won't say no to that. Thanks, Barlow. All this means a lot," he said, smiling. The canine returned the gesture and tipped his hat. "I'll see myself out, then. Good luck, Captain. I'll have my men install that weaponry for you." The boy nodded, watching the officer leave. 

"Alright. Mr. Onyx, could you give the crew their pay? Silver and I have places to be," he said, taking a bag next to his desk. "Of course, Captain. I trust I'll see you there, tonight?" The cragorian asked. "Definitely," the boy said, grinning. "What are da two o' ye talkin' about?" John questioned, confused. "Come on," Jim said, taking the cyborg by his arm. Before the usrid knew it, they were on a trolley headed to the nearby planet. 

"What's goin' on, Jimbo?" John asked, still befuddled as they hopped off the bus. "There's someone I want you to meet," Jim said, smiling warmly. They walked for a bit, chatting a little before Silver began to recognize their surroundings. "Hey-isn't this..." the cyborg started, looking up at a building ahead of them. Jim looked up at him. "It's the inn," he said, grinning. "But that-that's so much bigger than what I remember," John said, confused. Instead of the small house and poor landing dock that he had seen all those years ago, he was met with a multi-story structure that was well furnished and lit, stairs near it descending into a beautiful garden. 

"That gold went a long ways," Jim said softly. "Mom was so grateful. Still is." He chuckled. "You know, I think part of her is glad it burned down. She made a lot of renovations," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Wow," the cyborg murmured as they continued to it. "Glad it helped," he added.

When they came to the door, Jim took the handle and looked back up at Silver. "You ready?" He asked. John smiled. "Let's meet the lass," he spoke strongly. The handle turned. 

As soon as the door opened, light greeted the duo with the sound of silverware on plates and children's laughter among the quiet talk of the parents at tables. John looked around at the beautiful interior. It was well decorated with a calm aesthetic that for some reason reminded him of his home planet, making him smile. That's when Jim tugged on his jacket sleeve. He looked the direction the boy was and saw a woman setting dishes down at a table. The door closed and the woman turned their direction. Immediately, John recognized the features on her that he saw on Jim. They had the same nose and hair, the same expression of surprise and joy...

"Jim!" She said, setting down her serving tray and hurrying over to the boy. She brushed the hair from his face, getting a good look at her son before enveloping him in a hug. "I thought you said you wouldn't be here for a few more weeks!" 

"Well, I'm early," he said smiling as she pulled away from the embrace, taking his blue Captain's jacket. "Let me hang this for you-oh, it needs washing. All your clothes probably do," she said placing it on a hook. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he said as he set his bag down underneath the jacket, rolling his shoulder. She glanced behind Jim and saw John standing by the door. 

"Who's this?" She asked, wiping her hands on her apron. The lad walked over to the cyborg. "Mom, this is Silver," he said, putting a hand on the ursid's shoulder. 

"Ah," Sarah said, raising an eyebrow and putting her hands on her hips. "The same Silver who burnt my Inn down?" John chuckled humorlessly. "Aye, that'd be me, miss," he replied sheepishly. "And the same Silver who paid with more than enough money to rebuild it?" She continued, a smile crossing her face. A genuine chuckle came from the cyborg. "Guilty as charged," he said, grinning. 

She walked over, giving the ursid a hug. "It's so good to finally meet you. Jim's told me so much about you!" She said, stepping back. "Have you boys eaten yet?" She asked, looking at the two of them. Jim shook his head. "Well, let's get you seated then. Spacers don't get proper food out there, sailing." She said with a smile. 

She took two glasses of cocoa from the stove-top and set them down at their table. "Anything you want to eat in particular?" She asked. "Anything's great, mom." Jim said, crossing his arms on the table. She smiled, walking back to the kitchen. 

"Well, ain't she a right-lil' lady," John said, taking off his hat and coat. "She's pretty awesome," Jim said with a grin. "Glad she didn't decide ta tear me gizzard out or anythin'," the cyborg said with a chuckle. "Like I said, she's grateful," the boy said sipping his drink. "Not sure if I can say the same for Amelia and the Doc though," he added, setting his mug down. Silver rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably not..." he started.

The Inn door opened and Onyx stepped inside, wiping his boots on the mat. Jim waved and the cragorian walked over, taking a seat next to them. "How did she take it?" He asked, scooting his chair in. "Pretty well, I think," Jim said as Morph sluggishly flew from his pant pocket. "Hey there, sleepyhead," the boy said, petting the blob. Sarah came out carrying plates of food and set them at the table. "Hello, Onyx! Good to see you," she began, tucking her tray under her arm. "And you, Mrs. Hawkins," he said, tipping his hat. "Please, it's Sarah. Let me get you something from the kitchen," she said kindly. "Much appreciated," Onyx replied with a polite smile, removing his hat. 

Two hours later, almost all the other guests had left and the three had helped Sarah clear and clean the Inn of its mess. B.E.N. arrived in the middle of it all, and now he, Jim, and Onyx were playing cards at one of the abandoned tables. John was helping Sarah with the dishes in the kitchen. 

The cyborg dried a plate and put it on a growing stack on the counter, reaching for another dish as Sarah put away leftover food. She cleared her throat, looking at the basket of bread she held. 

"I want to thank you. For everything," she said softly. Silver peered her direction with a smile. "Not a problem, miss. My fault this burned down in da first place."

Sarah wrapped the bread in cloth and set it on a shelf in the pantry, shaking her head. "I didn't just mean rebuilding the Inn. It's Jim I'm thanking you for the most."

John paused and turned his head to her. "I'm sure you know about his father," she said quietly. He nodded. "Not having that figure here really hurt him. Since he left, Jim constantly got into trouble, didn't give his future a second thought, and became withdrawn from everyone. Including me." She took a deep breath. "And he...thought poorly of himself. He doesn't talk about it, but he blamed himself for my husband leaving. Which is ridiculous, really. But..."

Sarah turned to face John fully. "When he came home, it was like he was a completely different person." She looked out a warped window into the entry room where the boys were sitting, laughing and enjoying each other's company. She smiled. "He was so much more confident. He worked so hard to get into the academy, and he gave it all he could. He's happier now than he's ever been. And you were all he could talk about."

She looked at the cyborg. "I think you filled that void that Jim's father never did. So...thank you. Thank you for giving my boy that chance to become the best man he could be. It's been more than I ever hoped for."

John smiled. "Dunno what I coulda done different Miss Hawkins. And in all honesty, tat boy's done just as much fer me. Why, I'd still be a pirate if it weren't fer that rascal!"

Sarah smiled. "I guess that makes us even, then," she said sweetly. "And please, call me Sarah." The cyborg grinned and gave a salute. "Aye, ma'am."


	7. Heaven When We're Home

Jim left his bedroom the next morning, feeling well rested and ready for the day. Hopping down the stairs to the Inn's dining room, he found Onyx reading a newspaper at one of the nearby tables, a mug of steaming coffee next to him.

"Hey, there," he said, taking a seat across from him. "Good morning, Jim. Sleep well?" The cragorian asked, folding the paper neatly. "Pretty good," the boy replied, stretching his arms over his head. "Have you seen mom? Or Silver?" Jim asked, glancing around the room.

"I believe they're in the kitchen. By the way, Captain Smollet and Doctor Doppler will be visiting tonight, I thought you'd like to know," Onyx said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Cool. Has anyone told Silver?" The cragorian shook his head. "Not to my knowledge." Jim nodded and stood up, walking to the kitchen doors. "Hey, thanks," he said with a wave. Onyx nodded his head.

As soon as Jim entered the kitchen, he was greeted with a wave of aromas and steam. Breathing in the scent, he could smell all sorts of lovely breakfast foods and his eyes were quick to prove it. He hopped onto the closest table, grabbing a powdered spheroid as he did so. Sarah came out of the pantry holding a bag of sugar, followed by John with a crate full of marmalade bottles with Morph chattering behind him.

"Oh, good morning Jim! Did you just get up?" She asked, setting the sack down on a counter-top. "Uh huh," he replied, taking a bite of the spheroid. Morph flew over, begging for a bite, and Jim broke off a piece for the excited blob.

Sarah poured the sugar into a jar, causing powdery clouds of the sweet substance to float around her. "Hey, Jim, maybe you should show Mr. Silver around today? Give him a little tour of Montressor," she said as she pulled a pan of pastries from a nearby oven. Jim looked over at the cyborg and gave a short nod. "Sure, why not?" He said, giving the rest of his food to Morph.

"Sure ye won't be needin' any help here, Sarah?" John asked, pulling the rest of the marmalade bottles from their box. The woman waved a hand their direction. "I've been managing just fine. You boys go have fun today, okay?" She said smiling. "Oh, and take Onyx with you. The poor man will stay inside reading the papers all day if you don't."

"Cool," Jim said with a grin, hopping off the counter. They left the kitchen and Jim motioned for the cragorian to come with them as they made their way to the door. John grabbed his coat on the way out as they left the Inn. "Didja have anythin' in mind, Jimbo?" The cyborg asked, tickling Morph on his shoulder.

"Eh, there isn't much to do here anyway, might as well show you the only things we can do," the boy said, skipping down some steps to a shed near the Inn's gardens. Jim opened its doors and stepped in, emerging with his solar surfer.

"Ever been?" The boy asked with a sly grin, looking at Silver. "Can't say I have Jimbo," the cyborg replied, a wary look on his face. "Don't t'ink I want ta anyhow," he continued, looking the thing over. Jim looked over at Onyx. "You wanna try flying again?" He said, grin growing even wider. The cragorian dawned an even sterner look and narrowed his eyebrows. "Absolutely not."

"Party poopers," he said, trotting back up the steps. "Hey, Onyx, didn't Charlie say he'd be staying at the Benbow?" Onyx nodded. "That he did. Saw him this morning at breakfast."

"I'm gonna go get him," Jim said, running back to the Inn.

"So, you've been flyin' on that t'ing before?" Silver asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Onyx cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I'd be entitled to call my experience _flying_...it was more like an ungainly footle several feet from the ground. I am not eager to try it again."

Suddenly, the door to the Inn swung open and a boy with unruly red hair and a spatter of freckles on his rosy cheeks came running out of the building, following Jim. He too had a surfer and was grinning like a Cheshire cat as they joined their companions. John recognized the lad as the junior engineer from their crew, a friend of Jim's who was gaining experience on-ship for the Academy.

"Okay, since none of you want to surf, you get to judge a competition Charlie and I are gonna have," Jim said, flipping open the sail on his surfer. Charlie popped his open and stepped on, tightening the belt over his boots. "Ye sure this is safe, lads?" Silver asked, worry lacing his words.

"Hey, I've been doing this since I was eight. I think we'll be fine," the boy retorted, flashing the cyborg a smile. "Okay," Jim said, pointing ahead of them. "We're gonna go into those canyons there and go through an obstacle course I set up a while back. Then," he continued, pointing a different direction. "We'll fly around that curve there into those tunnels. From there we'll go up, then free-fall. Show off our tricks. First one back wins," he said, hopping onto his surfer.

The boys glided over to the edge of the cliff and let their engines rev loudly. "Okay..."Jim began. "Three...two......one!" The surfers exploded away from the rocks, the sound of their takeoff echoing around the canyons. "Come back in one piece, ye hear!" Silver shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Jim soared down into the crevices of Montressor's rocky surface, hearing Charlie almost right beside him. He dipped lower, following the sharp twists and turns of their route, narrowly missing the walls around him. Within a minute, the duo reached Jim's homemade obstacle course, a maze of jagged metal and unusable vehicle parts from the dump all arranged into a tricky maze to follow through.

Jim was barely ahead of Charlie, but he was careful to not speed up in this part of the race, conscious of the dangers around them. His hair flew around his head and his jacket billowed about as he maneuvered through the network of cogs and metal, twisting and turning, careful to not let anything catch on his sails.

Finally through the course, he put more pressure on a button near the engine and felt himself shoot forward. Charlie's bright hair caught his vision and he looked over to see the boy creeping next to him. He grinned, turning his sights back in front before he pulled the surfer's sail towards him. The two hurtled around the long curve of the canyon, almost crescent in shape as they approached the abandoned mining tunnels.

They each took a separate one, almost immediately joining back up as beams of light from holes in the ceiling flashed over them, leaving almost as soon as they appeared. Jim looked up, seeing their exit ahead. Now neck and neck, the boys yanked on the back of the sails, causing them to soar up and out into the open sky. They climbed, higher and higher until the atmosphere pressure began to drag on the tail-end of the surfers.

Jim smiled. This was his favorite part. He glanced over at Charlie, who had begun twirling back to the ground, his golden sails flashing and blinking as he tumbled gracefully to the earth. Instead of keeping his sails out, Jim pressed hard on the retract button, closing his eyes as he felt himself hurtle downwards.

He tucked his arms to his chest as he spun. Faster and faster he twirled, before opening his eyes to see the ground quickly approaching, Charlie not far ahead. He curled himself as close as he could to the surfer, angling it down. His eyes were watering, wind whipping his face hard enough to sting. He laughed as he passed Charlie, hearing the cry of surprise from the boy as he moved his foot backwards. The ground was getting closer. Forty feet...thirty...twenty...

He stomped hard on the release button, yelling in absolute exhilaration as his sail sprung out, catching him just before he would have crashed. He soared back up before gracefully landing back at the finish, hopping off and laughing proudly. Charlie joined seconds later, breathing heavily as he stepped off his surfer. "Looks like I win this round," Jim said with a grin, moving to secure his vehicle. "You always do man," the redhead laughed.

"Jimbo! Ye about scared me ta death there lad! What were ye thinkin,' ye crazy rapscallion!" John half-yelled, face caught in panic, amazement, and surprise. "Oh, calm down, chum. Jimmy here has done worse than that and been fine. Even his mama knows," Charlie said with a grin.

"Quite," Onyx added, dusting his shirt cuffs. Silver wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, chuckling. "Dunno why I'm surprised," he said. "I remember t'at stunt ye pulled wid ta portal years ago."

Jim just smiled, tucking his surfer under his arm, rubbing his wind-rashed cheeks "Well, I guess the only other thing we can really do is visit the market, I guess. Probably should, too. Get something nice to pacify the Dopplers tonight. You guys wanna come?" He asked, looking at Charlie and Onyx.

"Actually, Onyx and I were gonna go calibrate that new watch thing we were working on. We'll catch you guys later," the redhead replied, putting his free hand in his pocket.

"Alright, see ya in a few," Jim said with a wave, taking his surfer back to the shed. John followed close behind as Morph settled onto the top of his hat.

"So...what was that about ta Dopplers?" The cyborg asked, helping Jim lift the surfer back up to its stand. "Oh, they're just visiting tonight," the boy said, tightening a screw on his vehicle. "Ah...uh...should I make meself scarce then?" John said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Jim waved a hand. "Nah. Legally, you're basically clean as long as you're in my crew. Besides," the boy continued. "It wouldn't hurt to try and make things...better with them." He said, shooting a mischievous grin at the cyborg.

John shook his head. "Have mercy on me tonight..."

Hours later, Jim and Silver returned from the markets, arms laden with bags of food for dinner. Sarah was more than happy to accept it, and together, she and Silver got to work preparing a fulfilling supper. The Inn closed early that day to allow a private night with their guests, and finally, a quarter 'till sundown, the Dopplers arrived.

As soon as B.E.N. answered the knocking at the door, four children sped in faster than jack-rabbits. "Hey, guys!" Jim called, crouching down as they ran to him, tackling him to the ground. "How have my favorite kids been?" He asked, laughing as they smothered him in hugs.

"Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim, look! Look!" Matey said in excitement, her blonde hair bouncing as she jumped. She proudly showed off a small Captain's tricorne hat, placing it neatly atop her head. "See! I'm gonna be a Captain like you and like mama!" Jim sat up, smiling, ruffling her hat. "You sure are, honey," he said as Amelia and Delbert made their way inside. They smiled as Matey gave a salute, running back to her parents.

Jib curled her finger around her dark hair as she dumped a hefty book onto Jim's lap. "Papa got me this! It's called...the-the coomative guide to...um...constellations!" The brunette looked at the volume. It had a dark blue cover with the words "The Cumulative Guide to Constellations and other Astronomical Amenities," written in gold on its front. "It's really cool, look!" She said, flipping it open to show pages of star charts. "Hey, yeah, I've sailed past these," Jim said, pointing out some nebulae. Jib's eyes dilated. "Really?" Jim nodded and chuckled.

Tillie moved in front of her sister and put her little hands on Jim's knee, hopping excitedly. "See what Papa got me?" She exclaimed, giving a little twirl. "It's really pretty, right? Papa said every Princess needs a dress and so he got me this!" She said, showing off her lacy, violet outfit. The boy smiled, leaning back. "Your highness," he began, nodding his head in a pretend bow. "You look absolutely stunning." Tillie giggled in glee, curtsying. She skipped over to Matey, her dress bouncing as she went.

Jim leaned back, putting his weight on his hands as Sunny sat next to him. "Look at what I made, Jim!" The lad said, holding up a model ship. "You made this?" The brunette asked, tapping the bowsprit. "Well...sorta," Sunny started. "Mom said it was hers when she was little and she let me have it. I put new stuff in it," he said, pointing at little coils of string meant to be rope and tiny barrels and crates glued in place on the ship. "And right here," he said, undoing a hook at the keel, allowing it to swing down to reveal the inside of the model. "Is where I put a little engine! I'm trying to make it fly," he said, fixing a loose wire.

"Does it work?" Jim asked looking at the machinery. "Eh. Kinda," Sunny said, holding it in front of them. He flicked a button by the hull and a _"whir"_ sound emitted from the ship. Sunny let it go and it dropped a little, hovering shakily a foot from the floor. "It doesn't use solar power. I'm trying magnets instead," he said, grabbing it, turning it off. "Hmm," Jim said, cupping his chin. "Yeah see, here's your problem. This wire should switch with this one," he said, pointing near the engine. "And your stabilizer is a little old. A new one would work better. I've got some extras if you wanna work on it after dinner," he finished, grinning at the lad. "Yeah, thanks!" Sunny said happily, closing the keel.

"Dinner!" Sarah called from the dining room. Jim stood up, allowing Tillie to hop onto him for a piggy-back ride. "Good evening, Jim!" Delbert said, walking beside the brunette, linking arms with Amelia. "Hey, guys. How have you been?"

"Well, thank you. The children were ecstatic when they heard you were back early," the feline remarked, tucking a stray hair behind Tillie's ear. "Well, I'm happy to see them too," Jim said, helping the girl slide off his back as she ran to the table. The boy paused at the doorway, glancing the couple's way. "Uh, you know Silver's here, right?"

"I am aware, Mr. Hawkins. Onyx let me know this morning."

"Okay. I hope there won't be any...bad feelings today..." Jim said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't concern yourself, chap. I'm feeling forgiving this evening," Amelia said with a small smile. "Really?" The boy asked, surprised.

She hummed. "I think motherhood has made me a little less...severe." Delbert nodded. "You can say that again...oof!" He added as his wife elbowed him playfully.

They each took their seats at the table, the Doppler children rearranging themselves to sit close to Jim. Morph giggled at the sight of their new guests and flew to Jib-seemingly his favorite person from the family as she petted the blob. Sarah and John emerged from the kitchen, holding plates of food and drink. Onyx and B.E.N. got up to help them, and Jim would have too if it weren't for the excited kids chatting his ears off.

"Here we are," Sarah said, setting down the last of the food on the circular table, taking her seat next to Amelia. "Dig in, everyone!"

The sound of laughter, talking, and silverware clatter echoed in the Inn as everyone caught up on time apart. Amelia even had pleasant conversation with Silver-both sides maintained welcome civility. After everyone had eaten and dishes were put away, they moved to the lounge. Because it had begun to rain outside, Sarah decided to light the fireplace, leaving briefly to return with cocoa, tea, and a platter of shortbread cookies.

Jim smiled, watching Silver tell stories to the kids who had his full attention, awestruck as the cyborg continued his tales, using his mechanical arm to act out parts as he spoke. Even B.E.N. was listening in, sitting cross-legged on the floor with the children. Sarah sipped her cocoa next to Jim, looking over at Amelia and Doppler on the couch across from them.

"They are so darling," she said with a gentle smile. Amelia beamed, leaning into her husband happily. "If I'm completely honest, having a family or spouse was not something I ever foresaw in my future before all this," the feline said. "Nor I," Delbert added. Sarah hummed, grinning as she gently elbowed her son. "What about you, Jim? Planning on finding a woman?"

The brunette choked on his cocoa, face reddening immediately. "Uh-well, it isn't r-really a priority right n-now," he stuttered, wiping his mouth with his shirt sleeve.

"Oh, come on, I'm going to need grand kids sooner or later!" His mother teased, bumping his shoulder. The boy's blush deepened as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, feeling very flustered. Sarah laughed at her son's embarrassment and John caught the boy's eye, giving him a cheeky wink as he continued his stories. Jim shook his head, a small smile creeping onto his face.

Delbert looked up at the clock on the mantelpiece and nudged his wife. "I think we better get going, love. It's late." She nodded, standing as she slid her coat on. "Alright, children. Time to go." They moaned sadly, twisting around to look at their parents. "But mama, Silver was gonna tell us 'bout the funny prince!" Tillie begged. "Sorry, girls, my lad. It's already past your bedtime," Delbert said, buttoning his jacket.

"Next time, dears," Amelia said, assisting Delbert with his collar. The children looked back at the cyborg. "Ye hear yer mother. We can finish t'is another time. Off with ye lasses. Lad."

The Doppler family left, giving words of thank you and goodbyes to their hosts as they went. Silver chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up from his armchair. "Well t'at went better than I expected."

"Glad it did," Jim said, running a hand through his hair. Sarah brushed some stray hairs back behind the boy's hair. "Won't you be needing a trim soon?" She asked. "Nah. I'm gonna grow it out a bit," he replied, picking up leftover mugs and trays. She hummed.

"When do you have to leave?" She questioned, blowing out a candle on the mantelpiece. "Day after tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be back within a month or two." Jim replied quietly. A sad smile crossed Sarah's face.

Her son took her hands in his and smiled at her. "I'll write whenever I can. And uh..." he said, putting a hand in his pocket, pulling a golden locket from it. "I got this today. I'll be taking lots of pictures while I'm out. When I come home, we can transfer them to yours. So you can see what we've been doing." He said, a bitter-sweet smile on his face.

Sarah looked a little happier at that and she placed a gentle kiss on Jim's forehead. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"I could ask you the same question. Anyone else would have thrown me out by now," he said, grinning goofy. She shook her head, giving her son a hug. "Alright. You boys go to bed now. It's late."

"'Night mom."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

"See ye in da mornin,' Sarah."

"See you in the morning."


	8. We're Going Where Now?

Three weeks and many goodbyes from Sarah and the Dopplers later, the R.L.S. Adventurer was well into its voyage, and John was feeling pretty content. No longer having to worry about Royal Guards, police, or the Navy, he could relax, right alongside his favorite ex-cabin boy in the endlessness of the Etherium. Oh yeah, and there was treasure too. Hard to get much better than that, if he could say so himself.

The cyborg knocked on the stateroom door, letting himself in to meet Jim and Onyx. Jim had called the two for a mandatory navigation meeting and Silver was already a bit late as it was, so he wasted no time in hurrying up to the room.

"Capn'," John said, tipping his hat as he took a seat next to his first mate at Jim's map-covered desk. "Hey," the boy replied, looking up at him, watching as Morph flew over to the cyborg. "We may need to have a route change and wanted you here for consultation."

"What kinda change were ye thinkin' of?" Silver asked, glancing down at the charts laid out on the table, petting a chittering Morph. "Well," Jim began, leaning over the papers, one hand on his waist. "Our original plan was to sail here, to Plestar, but it looks like that may put us at risk of complications." John raised an eyebrow. "Like what? T'weren't any when we left." 

"Apparently the Procyon have had many recent sightings around the planet. We do not feel inclined to have any encounters with them if we can avoid it," Onyx said, gesturing to different spaceports on the maps. Jim nodded. "Especially with our mission, we don't want any run-ins with them. In case they get any...ideas. Besides, we have many younger crew members who are inexperienced and likely wouldn't handle a situation with them very well, at least not now." The captain added, referring to a compass.

"What are our choices t'en?" John asked, stroking the folds of his face in thought. "We basically have two. One, we go all the way back to Montressor to regroup and replenish supplies...or we change course and go to Calypso," Jim said, pointing at another planet on the map. "I'd rather not waste resources. So, I feel like we should shoot for option two."

Silver's eyebrows furrowed. "Calypso? Not a good idea, lad..." the cyborg said concernedly. "Why ever not?" Onyx asked, confused. Jim gave a questioning look, also waiting for an answer.

John took a breath. "Well, when yer a pirate, ye gotta know what places are good fer hidin' n' smugglin', recruitin' people, t'at sorta thing. Calypso's one o' them. I've never been meself, but I heard from many other men who have that it ain't as secure as ta Federation and Royals t'ink it is. Haven't met many pirates who haven't spent a month or two there while on the run. It's just a crime pit."

Jim ran a hand through his hair, eyebrows furrowed as he considered his options. "Do you know where the safer areas are, if there are any?" He asked. Silver shook his head. "All I know is that the South side is the most dangerous. Most of the guys I knew stayed in t'is region here," he said, pointing at a pot on the map. "But that's about it."

Jim said nothing for a minute, looking at the charts in concentration. "Ok. I think we'll go to Calypso regardless. We'll have to eventually, and B.E.N.'s tracker showed it as having quite a large gold deposit anyhow. But we'll take precautions. There's a small spaceport on Plestar's farthest moon, we'll stop there and I'll send a letter to the Admiral about our change in plans."

Onyx nodded, standing. "Shall I alert the crew, Captain?" Jim nodded, looking down as he pulled out a quill and ink-well. Silver stood as well, putting a hand on the desk. "I t'ink it'd be good if we all dressed down as well-out of uniform n' such. Make ourselves look more like trade ships and whatnot. I don't trust them renegades on Calypso ta take kindly ta Navy ships if ye get me."

"Good idea," Jim said, looking at Onyx. "I'll give the orders, then?" The cragorian asked. "If you would." The Captain said, pulling out a sheet of parchment. Silver made ready to follow the first-mate, taking a few steps to the door, holding up a hand as Morph flew close behind. "That all then?" He asked. Jim looked up and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Good thing you came, huh?" He asked, lips turning into a half-grin. Silver chuckled. "I'd hope so, lad."


	9. A Pirate's Life For Me

Jim finished clipping his earring on, adjusting his new tunic as he got changed in his cabin. Everyone on deck was dressing down out of their navy outfits into more...rugged looking clothing in preparation for their docking at Calypso. He glanced himself over in his mirror, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. It had been a long while since he had wore an earring, but he was glad to still have it now. It really completed his renegade look. 

Instead of his Captain uniform, he now had on a light top, dark trousers, and a pair of his more worn boots. He ran a hand through his hair as he grabbed a long jacket from his closet. Not quite a trench-coat, but definitely on the bigger side. He chuckled as he looked at his reflection. He looked like his teenage self again these new clothes.

He stepped out of his cabin into his stateroom, holding out a hand to Morph who had been playing around with his stamps. "Hey, there. How do I look?" 

Morph giggled, twirling in circles. "I'll take that as a 'good', then," Jim said with a lopsided grin. They walked out to the top deck, seeing Silver, Onyx, and B.E.N. up there talking at the helm. 

"Hi," the boy said, moving to stand with the group. Silver gave a hearty laugh at Jim's appearance. "Why, Jimbo lad! Yer t'a spittin' image of me old cabin boy!" B.E.N. perked up at the Captain's arrival, eyes widening. "He sure does!" The robot added enthusiastically. The boy shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "Just about," he replied. John ruffled the lad's hair playfully. "All ye need is that old braid o' yers and you'd be set!" Jim grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

He looked over at his first-mate who had a nervous countenance. "Lookin' good there, Onyx," Jim remarked. The cragorian wore a white-collared shirt with dark trousers and boots, completed with a brown tricorn hat and black overcoat. Onyx cleared his throat, glancing down, seemingly embarrassed. "It certainly isn't my most...formal look. But, it'll have to do." Jim gave the man a smile, cocking his head to his shoulder. "Sure will. I think those ruffians on Calypso will fall for it," he said. Silver nodded. "Looks like everybody will. All dressed up n' ready I t'ink."

Jim checked a pocket-watch from his coat, eyebrows narrowing. "Hope so. Cause we should be landing in less than an hour." He looked up at the cyborg. "I've been thinking. None of us here really know how to interact with criminals, so I'm worried that we could blow our cover." John rubbed his chin in thought. "So, what do we do about that?" He asked. 

"Well," Jim started. "I was thinking you could act as our Captain while we're here." Onyx raised an eyebrow and Silver scratched his head. "Ye sure 'bout that, lad?" The cragorian tapped his chin in thought. "It really isn't a bad idea. You are, after all, the most accustomed to criminals out of everyone on board. You would better know what to expect." Morph giggled and flew over to the cyborg. "Besides, you already kinda look like a pirate Captain-no offence," Jim added.

"Yer all sure about this?" Silver asked, looking at his mates in worry. They nodded. "Well then. Guess that's settled," the cyborg said, tickling Morph, who nested comfortably on the ursid's shoulder. That was when B.E.N. nervously raised a hand, holding out his navigation plate and locating device. "Uh, Captain Jimmy sir-we uh-we have a problem." Jim raised an eyebrow. "What's up?" He asked. 

"Well, um. Well you see, uh...I can't find the treasure." The robot said hurriedly. "What do you mean, 'you can't find the treasure'?" Onyx asked, a confused look dawning his rocky front. "It's not appearing on my locator," B.E.N. said, holding the thing out for his mates to see. Sure enough, nothing appeared on the planet other than the glowing ring that indicated that the entity did indeed have gold. "So, we can't pinpoint the exact location?" Jim questioned. B.E.N. shook his head.

"Well, that's a problem," the boy said, hand on his chin. Silver scratched his head. "Probably from all da smoke on Calypso. It's polluted bad. That n' rogue smugglin' ships. It could be messin' wid yer trackin' signals." Jim nodded. "That would definitely be an issue." The lad looked to the rest of his group. "Guess we'll be searching for this one manually unless we can find a way to get that thing going again. Are we all on board with that?" His friends looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

"One last thing, then," Jim said, turning to face the deck. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "All hands to main deck!"

There was a scurry as all the crew ran from where they were to assemble for their Captain. As soon as they all were accounted for, Jim began to speak. "Men, as you all are well aware, Calypso is a dangerous and unruly planet. So, in preparation for it, I am appointing Mr. Silver with temporary Captain's privileges. Consider every order from him to be from me. When we arrive, do not refer to me as Captain. Am I clear?" There were shouts of "Aye, Captain," from the deck in response. Jim nodded and turned from the helm back to the others.

"Okay, then. I think we're set," Jim said, putting his hands in his pockets. Silver pulled out his looking-glass and peered through it. "Good, 'cause ol' Calypso's dead ahead," the cyborg replied.

Not twenty minutes later, a dock had been chosen and the R.L.S. Adventurer began to land. "Reef t'a sails, lads! Make it sharp! Hudson-hail our landing guard if ye please," Silver called out. Jim was on the mizzen mast, tugging hard on his rope so his companion could securely tie it in place. He looked down at the deck. Honestly, when the cyborg wasn't in charge of a crew of pirates, he made quite a good captain. He had enough command in his voice, but was neither too strict or too lenient. With a grunt, Jim pulled the rope the rest of the way, allowing his crew-mate to tie it before climbing down the shrouds.

When he made it to the deck, he spotted John talking with the dock guard. The man made to leave as Jim approached, accepting a weighty bag of coins before his departure. 

Jim looked down at the small spaceport-if you could call it that. Lopsided buildings littered the crowded streets, the filthy cobblestone road hosting a plethora of aliens, many with collars turned up or hoods over their heads. The planet was a dusty one, much like Montressor with its dark overcast and grey buildings, not helped by the few lamps at doors or on the streets. Smog filled the air and the smell of charcoal crept through the atmosphere. There wasn't a naval guard or officer in sight, instead having shady looking men surveying the area. It was anything but inviting.

"So, what's the plan?" Jim asked, coming to stand by the cyborg. Silver glanced up and down the narrow streets ahead of them, eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, I've talked to Onyx, and I t'ink our best choice right now is fer you, me, n' Morphy to go 'round here on our own. Talk ta some people, see what we can find out about the treasure while B.E.N. tries ta figure out t'at gizmo o' his. In da meantime, I gave t'at man there some extra gold ta let us dock here fer a couple o' days. Told him we was havin' trouble findin' our dealer. He was plenty fine wid t'at when I gave him a nice tip." Jim nodded. Silver checked his pocket-watch.

"Well, I figure we should get goin'. We'll want as much time as possible. Are ye ready ta go, Jimbo?" The cyborg asked. Jim felt for some items in his pockets, mentally checking items off as he felt his pistol, cutlass, spare gold sack, handkerchief, and looking-glass. "Yeah," he replied. 

The two stepped down to the dock, heading up one of the foggy, winding streets. John made his voice low and quiet as he murmured to Jim. "Alright. Stick close ta me, don't speak ta anyone unless they speak ta you, keep yer collar turned up and yer head down. Ye got yer cutlass? Good. Let's go."

Jim took one last look at the Adventurer before turning his head back ahead of them as they left the seemingly safer docks. He exhaled deeply. Into the unknown they went.


	10. Sing, Sing, Sing

Jim watched his step carefully as he walked quietly with Silver up the uneven road. Littered on the streets were broken bottles, muck, trash, grime...he was glad he wore his cheaper boots. Many hands from cloaked people on the side of the walkway had made a grab for his coat, but they always were (thankfully) out of reach. Silver stopped a few times to talk to aliens on their way, their words always too quiet for Jim to hear. After about twenty minutes of walking, the cyborg leaned his head down to the boy's ear. 

"Talked ta some folks n' they recommended an Inn just up the road. It's later here than we thought and we'll be needin' a place ta stay fer the night." Jim nodded and they proceeded through the streets. As they went, only a few of the lampposts began to glow, and the ones that did were exceedingly dim. After a little more walking, Silver's pace slowed. 

"T'is must be it," the cyborg said, stopping. Jim finally looked up to see a precariously leaning building on their left, a worn and peeling sign extended from it with the words, "The Wandering Sailor's Inn," in a fading green. "Hmph," Jim said. "Fitting."

Silver checked his pocket-watch. "Apparently time here's an hour forward." Jim looked at his own watch, eyebrows raising slightly. "Wow. Would you look at that." The cyborg nodded, looking down at the boy before making his way to the door. With a creak, he opened it. 

Jim's eyes widened looking at the inside of the Inn. Despite its outward appearance, it was...decent. Better than the boy expected. Not too filthy, furniture mostly intact, somewhat lit, and plenty of people. 

When they stepped inside, a plump, mousy-looking alien came their way. "How can we help ya sirs?" The woman asked, brushing a strand of hair behind a large ear. "We'll be needin' a room fer the next couple o' nights. And a table fer two if ye don't mind," Silver said, pulling out a small pouch of gold. The lady nodded, accepting the bag as she led them to a table in the middle of the crowded room, facing a curtained stage. They took their seats as the woman took out a notepad and quill. "You boys got any luggage we can help ya with?" Silver shook his head. "Not tonight ma'am. What's fer eatin' round here?" 

She put one hand on her waist. "Tonight, the cook's prepared a squash soup with mashed lumpwells, Mr...?" The cyborg smiled. "Mr. Silver, and sounds good, miss." The woman nodded, jotting down some things on her notepad before putting in her apron pouch. "Can I interest ya two in some pints tonight?" John waved a hand. "Nah, we'll just take some purp juice if ye don't mind." The female nodded. "That all for now then?" The cyborg nodded. "T'ink so. Could I get yer name, lass?" The woman placed her quill behind her ear. "Jenny," she said, putting a hand on her waist. "T'anks, Jenny," Silver replied with a smile. She returned the gesture, turning to leave.

Jim looked around at the room. It had a high ceiling, few windows, and a stark contrast in the present patrons. Most were dressed in cheap and worn clothing, torn and ragged. The others though...were either dressed similarly to him and Silver or had on high quality fabrics, complete with hats, jackets, gloves...it was odd. The cyborg watched the boy's eyes wander the room. "Never been in a place like this, have ye?" Jim shook his head as Jenny returned with two tall mugs of purp juice. "Thanks," he said, taking his drink. He sipped it quietly, glancing around at the people near them. 

Silver took a swig of his drink before setting it down. "I'm gonna go speak wid t'e bartender. I'll be back in a tick, so don't be goin' anywhere." Jim nodded as the cyborg got up and left. The boy looked down at his jacket and fingered a fraying sleeve cuff for a minute, sighing. Just then, the lights around them dimmed greatly before a brighter light came on at Jim's left. He looked around in confusion as the patrons began to clap and applaud. Turning to where the light was coming from, he realized the stage lights were on, illuminating the wooden planks on it. He watched as the red curtains were drawn, revealing what was behind it. 

There, a microphone stood tall and erect with a piano off to the side, a human boy at its seat. Looking back to the center, Jim looked in curiosity as a human girl came to stand by the microphone. A loud voice, its location unknown called over the applause of the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome...Lucy!"

Jim looked back at the girl. She looked at the piano-man and nodded as he began to play. Then, she sung. Jim could hardly believe what he was hearing. Her voice seemed to silently call, beautifully dancing over notes and rhythms as she continued her tune. And she was...stunning. Dirty-blonde hair done up in an elegant bun with a sparkling red dress that fell to the ground. She held to the microphone stand with gloved hands, letting her song carry out among the crowd. 

It was then, that while her eyes glanced around at her audience, she caught sight of Jim's. For a few seconds they made eye contact, her dark eyes looking at Jim's steely blue ones. She seemed to slow in pace while they did before she looked away, getting back in time with the piano.

Jim's eyes widened, his mouth opened in shock and awe, not realizing that Silver just returned, taking his seat across from the boy. He didn't even register that the cyborg was speaking to him until a metallic hand waved in front of his face. "Hey-o! Jimbo, lad! Ye alright in there?" Jim shook his head as if to shake something away, looking back at the ursid. "Sorry, what was that?" Silver opened his mouth slightly, eyes looking at him in curiosity before he looked up at the stage. Then, he looked back at Jim, a mischievous look on his face. "Somethin' catch yer fancy?" He asked slyly.

Jim felt his face flush, and he immediately brought his drink to his mouth to try and hide the growing blush creeping to his neck and ears. "What-what makes you say that?" He stammered, trying to sound nonchalant. Silver began to grin. "Lad, I don't t'ink I've ever seen ye that red! And look at'cha, ye got stars in yer eyes! Don't play dumb wid me, bucko," he said, laughing deeply, poking Jim in the shoulder. Jim shrank into his jacket a little, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay, so I think she's pretty, but everyone else here does too, alright? No big deal," he said, glancing down to his right. Silver waved a hand. "Lad, everyone here thinks she's pretty in an outward way, but no-one else is lookin' at her like ye are. Ye should go speak wid her when she's done huh?" The cyborg remarked, leaning on the table. 

"Ehh...I dunno."

"Oh, come on! Whaddya have to lose?"

"Maybe later."

"Ye scared, laddy?"

"No."

"Then, go do it!"

"I will tomorrow."

Just then, Jenny came with their food, setting down bowls of soup, plates with side dishes, and a small basket of bread. Jim felt relieved at the interruption, eagerly digging in to try and prevent Silver from carrying on their banter. It wasn't great food, but it could have been worse. Nothing was rotting, so that was a plus. The lad looked back up at the girl as she finished another song, waving a hand at her shoulder as patrons tossed coins up at the stage, the gold's sound against the wooden planks making an echoing clatter. She began her next tune, her voice making Jim feel strangely relaxed as he watched on.

"She sure sings pretty," Silver said, taking a bite of the sliced bread in the basket. Jim gave a half-grin, not looking away from the dame. "Yeah," he said. "She sure does." They finished their meal in time for 'Lucy' to complete her last song. Jim flicked a coin to the stage as complimentary appreciation, clapping as she waved at her audience. 

"Thank you all for coming tonight, it's been a pleasure! Make sure to come back soon!" She said sweetly. She smiled, but her expression was...off-putting. Jim frowned a little. It didn't look like a real smile. Then, her eyes sweeping the room, caught Jim's again. This time, he grinned, clapping. Her red lips turned upwards slightly, more genuine, before letting her eyes leave his. Then, the curtains were drawn and she went out of sight. The lights returned as men from behind the curtain appeared to collect all the scattered coins on-stage. 

"Well, Jimbo. We best be gettin' to bed, huh?" Silver asked, standing. "Yeah," the boy replied, following the cyborg as they made their way to some stairs. Up two flights and down a narrow hallway, and they were standing outside their door. They opened it with a key Jenny gave them earlier, revealing two beds on either side of the room, a dusty dresser in-between them in front of a musty window. There was a cramped closet and small bathroom inside, on the left. 

Silver was asleep in his bed before Jim finished taking his jacket off. Hanging it on the bedpost, the boy got onto the firm mattress, pulling the thin covers over himself as he laid his hands under his head. He looked up at the ceiling. _"Tomorrow. I'll go talk to her tomorrow."_ He thought to himself, drifting off to sleep.


	11. Talk Some Sense to Me

The woman smiled, waving a hand as she stood on stage. "Thank you all for coming tonight, it's been a pleasure! Make sure to come back soon!"

That was a blatant lie if she's ever told one. The horrid stench of drink always filled the Inn, only increasing her hatred for the place. Out of all the places she had ever sung at, this one was honestly one of the better ones, but still not the life she wanted. The sticky floors, drunken patrons, and leering eyes made her hate the musical talent she had. 

She forced herself to smile, trying to give the appearance of enjoyment as she stood in the hot lights. She let her eyes wander...before catching the ones of a boy towards the back of the room. That was the second time she made contact with him that evening, and she couldn't help her lips turning upward into a more real smile. There was something about his gaze that was unlike the others...less of a desiring one and more like...awe? Wonder? There was a light in his eyes she felt almost fascinated by as she looked away, allowing the curtains to close in front of her.

The smile instantly dropped as soon as the stage was out of sight. She sighed, letting go of the microphone stand. 

"Hey, sugar! Nice work tonight! Earned us some pretty pieces!" 

The woman frowned, turning her head to the direction of the voice. A portly human stood at the side of the stage, holding a bag of coins the audience had tipped her during her performance. She looked away, rubbing her arm as the piano-man stepped to their side of the curtain, making his way towards her.

"Aw, don't be like that, babe. They all really enjoyed it. But hey, maybe next time wear somethin' a little more showy, huh? They'd like that. Anyway. Night, sweet-cakes. See ya soon." the man said, sneering as he walked away.

The piano-man glared at the figure, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders as they walked out. "Don't pay him any mind. He sure doesn't deserve it," he said as they headed to the back-stage changing room. "Yeah..." the girl replied quietly. 

Going to her room, she carefully removed the sparkling red dress and white gloves, changing into a loose blouse and skirt. She sighed in relief as she took off the dark heels she'd been wearing, more than happy to exchange them for boots. Finally, she let her hair down into a ponytail, glancing in the filthy vanity mirror as she gathered her clothes in a shoulder-bag. 

She walked out, meeting the piano-man who had been leaning against the wall, checking a pocket-watch. "Ready to go?" He asked with a smile. She nodded, following after as they made their way to the dining room. 

Staying close to the walls, they made their way to a back door before the woman looked back. There, she could see that boy again. He was human, and young by the look of it. Maybe even her age. She smiled, watching him and his companion stand from their table, leaving a tip as they went to the stairs. She chuckled to herself quietly. _"Maybe I'll see him again. He seems nice."_ She thought to herself, watching as he paused to help a waitress steady a heavy tray. Her companion tapped her shoulder. "You coming?"

"Yeah...I'm coming."

She hummed softly. _"No,"_ she thought. _"No, I wouldn't mind meeting that boy again."_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim woke late the next morning, groaning a little as he rolled up to a sitting-position. Groggily looking around the room, he could see Silver was not in his bed. He looked out the window for a moment before standing up, stretching as he reached for his jacket. Suddenly, the jacket hopped from the bedpost, scooting to the closed door on the other side of the room. Jim sighed.

"Morph, buddy. Kinda need that," he said, rubbing his face as he walked to the fake jacket. The clothing suddenly changed, a grinning blob floating in front of the boy. "Where'd ya put it you little mischief maker?" Jim asked, putting a hand on his waist. Morph giggled, pulling out from under his bed, laughing at his own joke. 

"Yeah, yeah, you're a real riot, you know that?" Jim said, a half grin on his face as he pulled the jacket on. "Did Silver leave?" He asked, opening the door. Morph, still giggling, nodded as they made their way downstairs. 

Jim walked through the dining room, looking for Silver before spotting the cyborg conversing with two felinoids at a farther table. The ursid glanced up, seeing the boy. He gave a small wave and held up a finger in a 'hold on,' gesture. Jim nodded, taking a seat at the bar while he waited. He requested a hot cocoa, allowing Morph to nibble on his breakfast toast when John came over to sit by them. 

"Hey, Jimbo. Just been talkin' wid those lads over there. Apparently there were rumors a couple o' years ago about gold on the streets 'round here, so I think we got lucky. It's bound to be in this here city, or one nearby."

Jim nodded, taking a sip of his drink, eyebrows furrowed. "Any word from the Adventurer?" Silver shook his head. "No, but I think we best explore 'round here a bit, see what we can find. Maybe we split up and Morphy can go wit ye to keep an eye out fer ye. He's an intuitive little fellow ya know." Jim chuckled, tickling the blob. "He sure is. Hey, maybe I go downtown a ways, around the markets, while you south?" Silver nodded. "Sounds like a plan, lad. Let's meet back here 'round noon." 

"Alright then," Jim said, both of them getting to their feet. "Good luck, bucko," the cyborg said, ruffling the boy's hair as they made their way to the door. "Stay outta trouble." Jim laughed. "I should say the same to you!" He remarked, heading down the cobblestone road. Silver chuckled, waving a hand as he went the opposite direction. 

The boy thought back on last night. He hadn't seen the dame that morning, so he hoped the girl would be performing again that evening. If not, he didn't know how he was ever going to find her. He shook his head. That wasn't his priority right now, he had a mission and he was going to follow through with it. 

After ten or so minutes of walking, Jim had reached one end of the busy marketplace. It was brighter today than he expected it to be, but he was grateful. That would hopefully make things a little easier. 

Making his way through the crowds, he looked around at all the booths on either side of him. Many were selling what he recognized to be black-market items. If he had an older (and frankly, much larger) crew and his navy attire, he'd have gotten to work reprimanding the merchants. Unfortunately, he had neither at the moment. Moving past the people massing in the street, a swinging sign caught his eye. A building on his left, hosted a red post with the words 'library' written in a peeling gold. 

Jim glanced at Morph. The blob looked at him curiously, tittering a bit as they made their way to the building. With a little more effort than he expected to need, the boy pushed the heavy door open, coughing slightly as dust filled his nostrils. A rusted bell rung quietly as the door closed, alerting a felinoid at a crowded desk near the back of the room. The cat hurriedly stood up, grabbing a cane as he made his way over to Jim, his white, wispy hair flying up behind him.

"How may I help you, young master?" The man asked, putting both hands on his cane. "I was wondering if you had any newspapers here? Older ones?" The cat nodded. "Just how old are you thinking, sir?" He asked, making his way over to a dusty mass of boxes. Jim ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, five years? Maybe six?" 

The felinoid nodded deeply, pulling a lid off one of the crates. He sifted through a pile in it before pulling out a large stack, placing it on a nearby table with some difficulty. "Here you are. This is everything we have. Will you be needing anything else, young man?" Jim shook his head. "I think that's all for now. Thanks," he said. The librarian bowed his head, shuffling back to his desk. 

Morph coughed as Jim picked up the top half of the pile, sending clouds of dust around them. He fingered through the piles, searching for the month they had set foot on Treasure Planet. Ah. Here. 

Jim picked up a week's worth of papers, many with bolded headlines saying things like, 'Mysterious amounts of gold on the streets!' or 'Trabloons litter markets, says...' and many others of a similar caliber. Jim began reading some of the articles.

_"Just yesterday, reports of unsolicited trabloons and rubies were discovered throughout the Northern regions of Calypso, most of which located in the city of Truro. Officials theorize ships above the planet could be the cause..."_

_"More gold found today in North Truro, officials report. Sightings continue despite the frantic grabs for the scattered money..."_

_"Reports of gold decrease, yet rumors throughout Truro say that any remaining riches are likely in the abandoned towns north, though superstition has prevented..."_

Jim's eyebrows furrowed as he scanned the yellowing pages, mentally making note of important details and locations. After about a half hour of reading, he placed the papers back in their box, giving the librarian a few coins in thanks before going back out into the market. 

Now it was even more crowded. Jim grimaced slightly, making sure Morph was close before continuing down the street. He pulled out his pocket-watch. He had about an hour or so before he needed to start heading back. 

Jim placed the watch back in his jacket before an uncomfortable growling came from his stomach. He frowned a little. "Well, that's what happens when you let Morph eat half your breakfast," he muttered to himself. He tickled the blob. "Hey, why don't we go find a snack, huh?" He said with a half-grin. Morph chittered excitedly, settling happily on the inside of Jim's jacket collar. 

Together they passed by booths, taking quick glances at their goods, looking for a light morsel to eat. Jim looked over at a few on his right, all of which were selling varieties of food. He cupped his chin in his hand. "What do you think, Morph? Should we get holly tarts or sugar crystal muffins?" Morph flew next to Jim's head, eccentrically fluctuating as he gestured towards the second booth. "Sugar crystal muffins it is, then," the boy said, pulling some coins from his pocket. 

A light-colored ursid greeted Jim, happy to sell him two muffins for a couple of trabloons. "There ya go sir," she said, handing him a paper sack. "Hey, thanks," he said, taking the bag as he turned to head down the street. Jim pulled out the muffins, folding the bag to put in his pocket as Morph excitedly munched on his treat. 

Jim took a bite of the snack, already feeling a little better. Food really works wonders. The boy continued to eat before the sound of Morph 'ooing' turned his attention away. He looked up, just in time to see the blob flying down the road, following a wagon laden with glowing solar minerals. 

"Morph!" Jim shouted, dropping the muffin as he wound through the crowd of people, attempting to catch the blob. The shape-shifter had caught up to the cart, curiously gazing at the mined minerals in wonder. 

Jim gritted his teeth, looking for a quick way through the masses of aliens in his way. He spotted a stack of crates against a store wall. Running to it, he leapt onto them, climbing over, finally past the worst of the crowd. Sprinting to the disappearing wagon, he finally caught sight of Morph, changing to match the various items in the cart.

Jim ran even faster, finally close enough to clasp his hands around the blob. Morph tittered in surprise as the boy closed his fingers around him. Panting, Jim walked to the side of the road, barely opening his hands to peer at the shape-shifter. "You're...a real troublemaker...you know," Jim said in between breaths. Morph giggled as Jim freed him, floating in front of the boy. 

The brunette quickly regained his breath, checking the time. He had about ten minutes before he would have to go. Letting Morph settle into his open hands, Jim held the blob in front of him as he began to slowly walk forward. "Now, you stay right with me, understand?" He asked. As he stepped forward, he didn't see the figure in front of him.

"Oof!" The boy said, walking into the person. "Oh!" A woman spoke, contents from a basket she held falling onto the ground. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't look where I was going," Jim said, immediately bending to help the girl collect the fallen items. "No, no, it's my fault, I wasn't either," she said, putting the last of her things in her basket. "Really, I-" Jim started, stopping as soon as he finally looked at the girl. Those eyes...

"Hey..." he began, shoulders slumping a little. "Hi," she said, eyes widening slightly. "Weren't you the singer at the 'Wandering Sailor' last night?" Jim said, somewhat nervously. "Uh-yes, yes I was. I remember you," she responded. Instead of wearing her extravagant outfit from the previous evening, she now wore buckled boots, black leggings, a knee-length skirt, and light blouse. Despite all that, her dark green eyes were a dead give-away to her identity.

"Yeah...it's Lucy, right?" Jim asked, cocking his head to the side. "Oh no, my name's Annabelle. Lucy is just my stage name. Erm-what's yours?" She questioned. "I'm Jim," the boy responded, a half-grin growing on his face. "That's a nice name," she said with a smile. 

Jim chuckled. "Yours is too-nice, I mean," he said, face flushing ever so slightly. Suddenly, the guy the boy recognized as the piano-man walked up behind Annabelle, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

"You okay, princess?" He asked. Jim-for whatever reason-felt somewhat depressed, realizing the two must be a couple. 

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just about to head back," she said, looking up at the man. The man turned his gaze to Jim, eyes narrowing slightly. "Who's this?" He asked suspiciously. "Oh, this is Jim. Jim, this is my brother, Andrew. You might have seen him last night, he always plays piano for me at our performances."

And just like that, Jim's spirits were made better, leaving himself feeling oddly relieved. "Hi," he said, holding his hand out to Andrew. The man hesitated for a second before firmly shaking it. "Hey."

Looking back at Annabelle, Andrew scratched the back of his blonde head. "We should probably go," he said quietly. "You need to go get that fabric from Holmes, it's alright, I can walk back to the Inn just fine," Annabelle said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hun, I don't want you walking alone up there, it's not safe," her brother replied, eyebrows furrowing. 

Jim watched the two in their banter before speaking. "Hey, if you're going back to the Wandering Sailor, I can walk you there. I was about to go myself," Jim said. Annabelle's eyes lit up slightly at the prospect as Andrew glanced over at him. "You sure?" He asked. Jim nodded. "Sure."

Annabelle looked at her brother. "I'll go with Jim, then. You go get that fabric, I'll meet you back at the Inn. Okay?" Andrew huffed. "Fine. Uh-thanks," he said, looking at Jim. "Don't mention it," the boy replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

Andrew turned back the way he came as the pair headed up the uneven road. "So, what brings you to Truro?" The girl asked, brushing her ponytail behind her. "Uh...here on a trade ship," Jim replied nervously. Annabelle's eyes lit up. "Really? What's your position?"

"I'm..." Jim began, trying to come up with a quick lie. Just because he fancied this girl didn't mean he could let down his cover...not yet, at least. "Cabin boy. For my Captain," he finished, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "Cool," she responded. 

"So, Annabelle. Do you sing for your job, or is it like a hobby or something?" Jim questioned, leaning over to look at the girl. "Oh, call me Anna. I guess you could say it's my job..." she said quietly, rubbing her arm. Jim raised an eyebrow curiously, about to ask another question before Morph flew out of his jacket pocket. He giggled, flying around Jim's companion.

"Oh! What-" Anna began, cut off as Morph cuddled the girl's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, this is Morph. He's a little troublemaker," Jim said somewhat frantically, grabbing the blob. He shot the shape-shifter a glare as he placed him on his shoulder. Morph changed into Anna, tittering as he swung a mini-basket around. "What is he?" She asked, giggling as she held up a finger to tickled the blob.

"He's a shape-shifter. We've been together a while," Jim said with a half-grin, relieved to see she wasn't upset about the encounter. "He's a cutie," she said with a smile as Morph cuddled her hand. "Don't let his looks deceive you. He'll do anything for food," Jim chuckled. "Mmm," Anna said, pulling a cracker from her basket. "Here you go," she said with a grin, watching the blob eagerly take the morsel. 

"I don't suppose you've seen other singers at the Inn, have you?" Anna asked, looking up at Jim. He shook his head. "Nope. Why?"

"Oh, it's just that I have some friends that will be performing with me for the next few weeks. They are supposed to arrive sometime today, I just don't know when," she said, shifting the basket to her other arm. "Well, if I see them, I'll let you know," Jim replied. He held his arm out. "Want me to carry that for you?" He asked, gesturing to her basket. "Oh, it's alright, it's not that heavy," she said with a small smile. "Really," Jim said, grinning slightly. Anne chuckled. "Okay, then."

Jim took the basket, holding it in his other hand as they continued up the road. They chatted and laughed, enjoying each other's company as they reached the Inn. "Mil'lady," Jim said, holding the door. Anna giggled, giving a mock curtsy. "Why, thank you my good sir," she remarked, stepping inside. 

Despite it being lunchtime, there weren't many people inside the dining room, leaving Jim and Anna free to take pretty much any table they wanted. They sat down, setting the basket on the side of the surface. 

"How long do you plan on staying at the Inn?" Anne asked, folding her arms on the table. Jim shrugged. "Couple of days, probably a week or so." A sad smile flickered on the girl's face, quickly replaced by a happier expression. "Well, I should show you around sometime. There isn't much to see here, but, you know." She said. Jim smiled. "I'd love that."

"Does tomorrow work for you? Maybe two or three?" She asked. Jim grinned. "I think that would work just fine."

Just then, the door opened and Jim looked over to see Silver walking in. "Oh, that's my Captain. I should probably go..." the boy started, somewhat sadly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Anna smiled. "Could you introduce me? It's not everyday you get to meet a Captain."

"Sure," Jim said, surprised. He waved a hand, catching the cyborg's attention. "Sil-uh, Captain!" He said. The ursid walked over taking a seat at the table. "Ahoy there, Jimbo." He shifted his gaze over to the girl sitting next to him. "And who might t'is lovely lass be?" He asked, shooting a mischievous glance at the boy.

"I'm Annabelle," the dirty-blonde said, holding a hand out to the cyborg. Silver took it, tipping his hat. "A fittin' name fer a bonnie-lass like yerself," he said with a smile. "I'm Cap'n Silver. It's a pleasure ta be a-meetin' ye," he continued. She smiled. "The feeling's mutual."

Suddenly, a disheveled grandfather near the stage struck noon. "Oh, I'm afraid I have to go. It was good to meet you both. Maybe I'll see you boys tonight?" The girl said, taking her basket as she stood. 

Jim nodded. "Sure thing. Good luck for tonight," he said, waving as she began heading to the stage entrance. She smiled. "Thanks. See you later."

As soon as she left the room, Silver looked at Jim. "Aha. So that's the lassie ye was gettin' starry-eyed for, huh?" He asked, prodding the boy's shoulder. "Uh-huh," Jim said, feeling his face redden slightly. "Didja ask her out?" The cyborg questioned, smile growing as he watched the boy become more flustered. "Well, uh, she actually kinda asked me." Jim said, looking at his hands on the table.

"Oh. Ye chicken or somethin'?" John said, chuckling. "No, she just got to it before I did," Jim started, his blush intensifying. "Anyway, she's just going to give me a little tour of the city tomorrow." 

Silver hummed. "Well, other than that, didja find anythin' on the treasure?" Jim nodded, relieved for a change in subject. "I found a library and went through some old news articles on it. Whatever's left of it is likely in some abandoned villages up North. I can have Anne take me up there tomorrow, probably. What about you?" 

The cyborg stroked the folds of his face in thought. "May have found a lead on where some loose gold could be, but that's about it. How 'bout ye and I head back ta the Adventurer after lunch, let Onyx know what's goin' on." 

Jim nodded. "Sure. Let's try to be back by dinner," he added. Silver hummed. "Someone ye wanna see?" He said, elbowing the lad, chuckling. Jim elbowed the ursid back playfully, allowing the man to ruffle his hair in return. 

_"Yep."_ Jim thought to himself. _"Sure do."_


	12. All I am is Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you're enjoying this story, then maybe you'll like this other Treasure Planet thing I'm working on. Hope to see you there, and thanks for reading!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124029/chapters/60871402

Jim smiled as the performers continued their song. Anna stood in the middle of them all, up front and center. On her right was a human with fiery red hair and a brunette felinoid. On her other side were yet another felinoid, this one with bright, silvery hair, and then a human with distinct wolf-ish features, her pointed canines visible as she sung. Andrew let his hands dance over the piano keys while a candid violinist accompanied him.

The Inn was much more crowded tonight, full of people there for drink and entertainment rather than spending the night, so Jim and Silver considered themselves lucky for finding a good table early on. They made it back hours earlier from their meeting on the Adventurer. Onyx reported no troubles, though B.E.N. was still having a hard time trying to get his locator working. Considering they were picking up good leads, it was decided that Jim and Silver would continue searching for the next few days. The boy was just glad they made it back in time for Anna's performance.

Jim clapped loudly as the girls finished their tune, smoothly transitioning into the next one. Anna's eyes swept the crowd, catching the boy's face in the dark audience. A smile crept onto her face, causing Jim to give one in return. Tonight, she was dressed in a short, sparkling blue dress with a decorative white scarf handing around her shoulders. Her companions were dressed in similar clothing, all wearing a heavy amount of makeup. 

Jim wouldn't lie, Anna looked nice in the garb, but he thought her natural look was much prettier. Not that her appearance on-stage wasn't making him swoon.

While the other girls performing could sing well, it was obvious Anna had the natural talent and flair with her voice, easily standing out from the bunch as the lead. She really did carry tunes so beautifully. Jim found himself blushing slightly as these thoughts crossed his mind. 

Alas, the night couldn't last forever. 

Soon enough, the five girls and their male accompanists were waltzing off the stage as coins were thrown, waving and bowing as they made their exit. Quickly after, most of the guests of the Inn strolled (many drunkenly) to their rooms while the rest left for their homes, Jim and Silver included. When they woke the next morning, they resumed their searching, speaking with many strangers for any clues on the treasure, Silver turning up more findings than his younger companion. Likely because Jim found himself very distracted; two-o-clock just couldn't come fast enough. 

Finally, a quarter 'till two, the boy found himself back at the dining room of the Wandering Sailor, anxiously playing with Morph as he watched his pocket-watch. Jim hummed to himself worriedly, counting twelve minutes 'till the hour. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't an official date...she was only going to show him around. So, why were his hands so clammy?

At ten minutes left, Jim huffed. He figured at this point, he was early, but not too early. Just a courteous kind of early. He walked over to the stage entrance, knocking twice before entering. Inside was a long hallway, with many doors on either side, one leading to the stage itself while the others held name-tags for their purposes. Most were changing rooms or instrument storage, but Jim stopped when he reached a door labelled, 'Lounge and Practice.' 

Making sure Morph was being quiet and was securely inside his jacket pocket, Jim raised a hand to the door. He let out a shaky breath, hand raised. He knocked. A shuffling came from the other side before the brunette from last night opened the door. "Can I help you?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. Jim rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Is Anna here?" 

The feline glanced behind her. "Yes, come in," she said, stepping back to allow the boy entrance. When Jim walked in, he immediately spotted Anna, who was sitting on a faded blue couch against the wall. She smiled, standing up to walk over to him. "Hey! Ready to go?" She asked, putting a hand on her waist. He nodded. "Yep."

Anna looked behind her. "Oh, let me introduce you. Girls, this is Jim. Jim, these are my friends. This is Victoria," she said, motioning to the redhead, who was sitting on a vanity desk in the corner. She waved, smiling brightly.

"Isidora," Anna continued, pointing at the other human, who brushed her short blonde hair behind her as she waved briefly. 

"Cecile," the girl said, gesturing to one of the felines.

"And Mae," Anna finished, motioning to the other felinoid who smiled shyly, in the middle of braiding her silvery hair. 

Jim waved at the group, trying his best to give his friendliest smile. "We'll be back. See you guys later," Anna said brightly, leading her companion to the door. Her friends said goodbye as they left, weaving out through the hallway, into the dining room, and out onto the road. 

"Anyplace you wanna go first?" The girl asked, looking up at Jim. He shook his head. "I'll follow you," he said as Morph finally flew from his jacket pocket to hover around the pair. And so he did.

Nearly two hours later, Anna had shown Jim around more places than he thought even existed in the crowded city. There were numerous hidden passage-ways, tunnels, and buildings he never spotted in his initial explorations. A merry pub, a theater, several restaurants, a convenience shop, and abandoned orphanage were just a few of the places they visited. But, Jim noted, not a single constabulary in sight. Not a good sign. Taking a break, they had stopped by a bakery to pick up some pastry snacks before walking to an obscure lookout over the city Anna had found years ago. 

There they sat, snacking, and looking down at the city, watching the hustle and bustle of the late afternoon. "I love coming here. I don't think many other people know about it," the girl said, taking a bite of a raspberry tart. "That's what makes it special," Jim said, giving Morph some of his leftover crumbs. 

Anna smiled. "Sure does. I don't think I've ever brought my friends up here, actually," she said, tapping her chin in thought. Jim's spirits soared a little at that. She hadn't shown this place to even them, but instead brought him-some boy she met just yesterday. That made him feel pretty special.

"I can see why. Seem's like a nice 'alone' place, ya know?" Jim said, a gentle breeze ruffling his jacket.

Anna nodded. "I used to come up here all the time, late at night after everyone went to bed. The smoke isn't as visible from here and you can see the stars. I've always wanted to go sailing," she said, a small smile creeping onto her face, her eyes almost distant. "What's it like out there?" She asked, turning to Jim. 

"Well," he began, tickling Morph. "It's always different, whenever you go. Sometimes you'll see a lot of nebulae, sometimes only stars, maybe Etherium creatures. There are storms, sometimes fierce ones that make you stay in your cabin. Other days it's really hot. But I love every moment of it."

He looked over to see the girl smiling, arms wrapped around her knees. "What's your favorite thing about it?" She asked.

Jim chuckled slightly. "I always love being out late. No one else on board...just the sound of the sails and the wind...the Etherium goes all blue and purple and you can see just about every star. It's dark, but not too dark. It's just...perfect."

Jim suddenly felt his face flush a little at the personal (and he thought, somewhat cheesy) knowledge he shared, but it was quickly forgotten when he glanced over at Anna, who's eyes seemed to be dancing at the thought of Etherium nights. 

"That...that sounds magical," she said softly, looking up at the sky. 

Jim rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You know...we have a few open positions on our ship that don't really need experience. If you wanted, you and your brother could come with us when we leave."

The smile that was on Anna's face instantly dropped. She paled slightly. "Oh, I-I'd love to, I really would, but-I have to stay here and s-so does he," she finished quietly. 

"How co-" Jim started, cut off as Anna stood, carrying the now empty paper bag. "Let's go, I'll show you the printer's shop," she said, turning to head back down the hill. Jim raised an eyebrow, mouth agape as he glanced at Morph in confusion. The blob hummed, befuzzled.

As they walked back to the streets, Anna seemed to have forgotten about going to the printer's shop at all, instead just going away from the hill, picking random turns and paths. Jim (who had been lagging behind with morph) jogged slightly to be next to her. He cleared his throat. 

"Hey, so I was wondering if maybe you could show me the abandoned villages up north? I thought you'd probably know where they were and I've been meaning to go up there," he said, looking at the girl. She halted, eyebrows furrowing. "Why would you want to go there?" She asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Jim stuttered, trying to come up with an answer when Anna's eyes flicked just over his shoulder. She gasped, eyes widening, her face turning the color of an old sheet. Jim whipped around to see a clock in a shop window showing the time 4:18 PM. 

"Oh, I-we gotta go back, w-we've gotta hurry, I'm late!" She yelped hurriedly, turning to run down the street with Jim at her heels.

"Late for what?!" Jim yelled, trying to carry his voice to her. 

"Rehearsal!" She called back, hair flying high behind her as the flew over cobblestone roads.

They hurtled through the messy streets, leaping over crates and barrels, dodging passerby and the like as they sprinted to the Inn. Sooner than Jim ever thought possible, there they were in the dining room, doubled over, chests hitching uncomfortably as they wheezed. 

"Wow...you're...really fast," Jim said between breaths, hands on his knees as he took in gulps of air. Anna chuckled a little, nodding as she speed-walked to the stage entrance. As her hand reached for the handle, she gasped, stepping back as it was thrown open for her. Jim looked over to see a large human on the door's other side. He was tall and overweight, dressed in fine silks and linens, decorated with pocket-watch chains and similar garb. Jim knew this must be her employer.

"So..." he whispered, his voice dangerously soft. "My little songbird decided she'd take her sweet time and come when she'd like, hmm?"

Anna stuttered, cowering, obviously trying not to step back as she responded. "N-n-no Sir, never, I-"

"Oh, no?" He asked, an eyebrow raising. "Well, my wren, I believe I scheduled practice to be at four-fifteen today. What time is it now?"

Shaking, Anna glanced at the grandfather clock by the stage. "F-four-thirty S-Sir."

The man hooked a gloved finger under her chin, lifting it up to face him as he leaned in. "Then, my dear...I do believe that makes you late. I assume you remember what the consequences are for being late?"

Anna whimpered, shutting her eyes tightly as the man raised his hand up, ready to strike her before Jim came running over, grabbing the girl by the wrist. He pulled her behind him, standing directly in front of the man, face drawn into a scowl. 

"What do you think you're doing!" He shouted angrily, trying to make himself taller to stand up to the looming man in front of him.

"Didn't you hear, boy? She was late. She must be punished," the man said, his dark mustache twitching slightly as he spoke.

"Punished?! You don't own her, and it was only by fifteen minutes! She came running as soon as she realized!"

Suddenly the man stopped, looking between Jim and Anna-who was now crouching behind the boy, eyes cast to the ground-and began to laugh. Jim held back a shudder-the sound was eerie and discomforting, almost unnatural. 

"Oh, Annabelle dear, did you not tell your little boyfriend? This is rich...well I suppose he'll find out sooner or later, won't he? If you won't tell him, maybe your friends will. Get on to practice, your spot of entertainment has spared you of your punishment today. Don't let me catch you breaking rules in the future or I won't be so forgiving."

The man walked past them and out the door, still chuckling as he left. Jim stood dumbfounded, an arm still over Anna as he watched the man's departure. 

Still shaking slightly, Anna looked up at Jim. "I'm sorry you had to see that...you shouldn't have needed to intervene..." she said quietly. "I only wish I'd done it sooner," the boy said darkly, escorting the girl down to the practice room.

When they opened the door, they were met by the sight of the girls and the violinist, all with anxious looks on their faces as they saw Anna. The singers stood to meet her, asking questions of concern for their friend. Everything was soon explained and Andrew came to the room minutes later. 

Apparently, when Anna hadn't turned up for rehearsal, he was sent to go look for her. He ran to her, shaking as he examined her for any injury. When nothing was found and all was explained to him, he looked behind to Jim. "Thank you. Thank you for protecting her," he said, his eyes speaking more than his words. 

Jim nodded. "Of course-" he started, about to ask Anna what the man meant earlier about her not telling him something, when a candid strutted in (apparently their rehearsal manager) ushering them into practice, quickly shoving Jim out into the hall. The door slammed with a bang as the boy was left in the dim corridor. More confused than ever, Jim walked back out to the dining room. Coincidentally, Silver was now there, sitting at the bar with a mug of purp juice.

"Hey there, Jimbo," the ursid said as Jim hopped on the seat next to him. "How'd it go?" The boy sighed. "Good...up until the very end," he mumbled, grabbing a slice of bread from a bar basket. "Well?" The cyborg asked expectantly. Jim leaned back on his stool.

"She showed me around and we talked, had a good time, went and got something to eat. She showed me one of her favorite spots to hang in, and she mentioned how she always wanted to go sailing, so I offered to get her and her brother hired when we leave so that they could come with us for a while. Then she got weird, saying how they couldn't leave, and I still don't know why that is."

Jim sighed, putting down his uneaten bread. Silver patiently waited for the boy to continue, taking a gentle sip from his mug.

"And then I asked her if she could take me up to the abandoned villages...she didn't say no but she asked why I wanted to see them. Then she realized the time and we came running back because she apparently was late for rehearsal. When we got here, her boss was about ready to knock the lights outta her for being late, but I stepped in and stopped it...he said Anna hadn't told me about something. I meant to ask her why, but she had to go to practice."

Silver nodded, eyebrows raised. "Sounds like a wild date if ye ask me," he said, putting his glass down. "Tell me about it," the boy said, head slumping into his arms which were folded on the table. "Never had one that crazy before." Silver turned his head to the lad. "You've been datin'?" he asked, sounding somewhat surprised. Jim peered out over his arms at the cyborg.

"Yeah? I mean, I've never really been in a relationship before...tried a few dates with this girl Kate back at the academy, plus some other dance dates, but that's about it. I've never really been serious before though, those ones were just to get to know people, really."

"Hmm."

Silver slid his mug to Jim, offering the rest of its contents. The boy took a grateful swig. "Go talk ta her tonight. Work things out. Alright?" He said, looking at the forlorn lad sitting next to him. Jim nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face. "There's my boy! You relax a bit, I'm goin' ta update Onyx. No, I'll handle it, you stay put. Be seein' ye, Jimbo."

The cyborg left the Inn, leaving the door to swing closed. Jim took a sip of the juice, stroking Morph who had gone to sleep in his inside pocket. "We'll figure this out."


	13. She's Got a Secret Garden

By the time that night's performance was over, most of the patrons cleared out, the few remaining choosing to drink and play cards the rest of the night. Taking a glance around the room, Jim slipped through the stage entry door. He cautiously walked down the dark hallway, moving to stand outside the Lounge room. He knocked.

With a creak, Mae opened the door, immediately letting Jim in as the other girls turned to look at their guest. Jim glanced around. "Is Anna here?"

Victoria shook her head. "She and Andrew left to head to town not ten minutes ago, but they'll be back soon. Did you need something?"

Jim put his hands in his pockets, eyebrows furrowing. "Well...I was going to ask her about something. Maybe you guys can help me though?" The girls nodded.

"So, uh...today I ran into your manager-at least, that's who I think he is. He yelled at Anna for being late and was going to...hit her. He said she wasn't telling me about something? Do you know what's going on?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

The girls just stared for a moment, and Jim began to wonder if he said something wrong when Cecile, with her arms crossed, spoke. "You ran into Victor?"

"Is that his name? He was tall, kinda bigger. Human," said Jim. 

Cecile looked worriedly at her friends. "Yes, that's him. Jim...have you ever been to Calypso before? To Truro?"

The boy slowly shook his head. The feline sighed. "Then you really must not know what's going on here." Jim stepped forward. "Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out," he said. 

Isidora crossed her legs at the stool she was sitting at, tapping one of the nearby lamps with a clawed finger. "Look, this is probably something Anna should talk to you about. All I'll tell you now is that we've been...improperly employed. She'll be back soon. There's a balcony upstairs at the end of the hall that's pretty private. Wait there for her. We'll send her your way when she arrives. Okay?" 

Looking at the other girls as if waiting for their approval, Jim paused before nodding, turning to leave. "Alright. Thanks," he said, opening the door. Isidora nodded. "Good luck," she said as Jim pulled the door shut. 

The boy walked through the dining room and up the stairs, making his way down the creaking hallway to the last door in it. There was no label. Cautiously, he opened the door, revealing a small balcony two stories from the road. He walked to the railing, hoisting himself onto it. For what seemed like a while, he fingered at a loose string on his jacket sleeve, heart beating anxiously for what awaited him...the unknown.

Dark clouds rumbled overhead, casting shadows over the city. Musty street-lamps came on below, casting next to no light around them. Few walked on the roads, leaving the balcony quiet except for the sound of distant thunder and light rain. Jim sighed.

Suddenly, the creak of wood shook him from his reverie, causing his heart to jump in shock as he turned to see the door behind him closing, Anna at its side. She looked almost forlorn, hair falling from the uneven bun she tied it in. She pulled her sweater more tightly around her as she walked closer. Swinging her legs over the rail, she took a seat next to the boy. 

"Hey," Jim said quietly, looking at the girl. 

"Hi," she said even quieter.

"So...did they tell you why I wanted to talk?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied.

For a moment, they sat in silence, looking out over the black rooftops and chimneys with billowing smoke floating into the air. It was oddly serene.

"You really don't know the half of crime in this city, do you?" Anna said, her voice vacant of emotion.

"Not really. I've never been here before."

Anna nodded. "Let me tell you a story, then. Maybe things will be more clear."

She took a breath, looking ahead as she began to speak. "Many, many years ago, smugglers began using this planet for business. As it was a newer one, only recently settled, there weren't many naval officers here for patrol, and it stayed that way. Because of that, Calypso was open and vulnerable. Aside from smugglers, Calypso became home to thieves and pirates, wanted men and criminals. Even rebels. It became a very dangerous place."

"The abandoned villages in the north are the remnants of towns from the settlers here, settlers that were able to successfully and safely live up until a little over a decade ago. You see, about twelve years ago...they were attacked. Brutally. A band of ex-smugglers descended, killing some and injuring many. There was such a great fire...you couldn't see the sky from the smoke...it was the definition of terror. I know, because I was there." Anna shuddered, eyes closed as she continued.

"But those men weren't after chaos. Soon enough, they were rounding up survivors, separating people from their families, everyone was going in different directions. Everyone was shipped away. I was lucky that Andrew was taken with me." 

Jim looked at the girl as she spoke. Her arms were folded around herself, eyes steely and staring straight ahead, completely void of any emotion but fear.

"Before we knew it, Andrew and I were being shuttled to solar mineral mines. We were marked, cuffed, and sent in to work for Etherium knows how many hours for days on end."

"Marked?" Jim asked, fear laced in his voice.

Anna sighed before pulling up the sleeve of her sweater. She exposed the inside of her wrist where a black 'X' was tattooed, at least an inch in length. Jim felt his heart beat quicker as he began to understand.

"Little food, little water. We worked in the mines until I got transferred to do house-work for one of the possessors' and his wife. Andrew convinced them to let him come to do labor at a farm close-by. We were lucky. We were able to see each other often; most were separated from their families, never to see them again."

"A few years ago, my master's wife overheard me singing while I was doing my chores. She reported my talents to her husband, who demanded I perform for him. When I did, he promptly arranged for me to switch to a new possessor for entertainment purposes. I begged them to let my brother come. He learned to play piano before everything happened, and if hadn't, he wouldn't have been allowed to join me. But because he did, he was assigned as my accompanist. And we've been like this ever since."

Anna took a shaky breath, eyes closed. "You see...I'm a slave. And so are the girls, and Andrew, and everyone working in the mines, and so many others. It's illegal of course, it's trafficking and forced labor, but since be don't have any real naval officers here, no one who can help knows about it."

Jim's mind was racing. He had imagined all sorts of things that this girl might say to him, but her slavery was not one of them. He felt almost panicked but mostly afraid, afraid for her.

"Why haven't you tried to escape? You go to town when you please, you aren't chained. Why don't you and your brother leave?" He asked, looking intently at her.

"Oh, we've tried. So, so many attempts. We were caught every time. The guards at the docks check everyone before they leave for the 'X', making sure no slaves escape. Then, of course, there's punishment for trying."

Anna looked down, adjusting her sweater to expose just the top of her back. Despite there not being much skin visible, Jim could see dozens of lacerations and scars, accompanied by burns and all matter of poorly-healed injury.

"Last time we tried to leave, about two years ago, we were told any further attempts would result in a more...severe punishment."

"Like what?" Jim asked, part of him not wanting to know.

"Prostitution." She said quietly, a finger curling around a stray hair hanging by her face.

It took all Jim had not to gasp, and he felt a sudden rush of anger and hatred to the ones holding this girl and so many others prisoner. His loathing he already had for these criminals was beyond tolerable with this new information.

"So...that's why I was curious about you wanting to go to the villages. No one really goes anymore, they all think it's jinxed or something. And that's also why we can't leave with you. Believe me, I'd give anything to come."

Jim contemplated all this for a moment, standing as he turned to face the girl.

"You trust me, don't you?"

She paused for a moment before turning her head to look at him. 

"If you didn't, you wouldn't have told me all that. I don't know how or why you trust me, we've only known each other for a few days."

Anna looked away. "I guess...you're just different from everyone here. You have been, ever since I first saw you. You feel safe to me. I don't know why. But, yeah. I trust you."

Jim leaned to look at her. "I'm glad. Because I trust you too."

Anna turned her head to the boy. "You do?"

He nodded. "And I think it's only fair that I share some of my secrets with you."

The girl looked at him expectantly, eyes full of curiosity. 

"Look...I'm not a cabin boy. And Silver? He's not my Captain."

Anna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, waiting for the boy to continue. 

"I'm actually a Captain. Silver is my second mate. My ship is back on dock with my first officer over my crew. And..." It took a lot for Jim to not break into a grin. "I'm a naval officer. That makes me a mandated reporter. If what you've told me is true-and I don't doubt it at all-then it's my civic and lawful duty to take action."

Anna's eyes widened as she took this in, realization showing in her countenance. "Y-you're a Captain...and all this time, I thought-"

"That I was a cabin-boy, I know. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth earlier, I've been undercover."

Anna nodded. "No, I get it, it's just a lot of information," she said, putting a hand to her forehead. "Wait...we never get navy-men here. What are you doing on Calypso?" 

Jim chuckled nervously. "That's kinda confidential. But I have to get to those villages. And..." he said, putting a hand over hers. He felt a jolt of electricity flow through him as his hand touched hers, excitement almost distracting him as he continued. "We're gonna get you out of here. All of you."

The girl next to him had a look of awe, respect, and sadness on her face as her shoulders slumped. "But, Jim...you only have one ship. There aren't more of you here, are there? My master isn't the only possessor in Truro. There are spies everywhere, watching for any sign of rebellion. It's not that I don't want to be free, but I don't want genocide either. How could we ever get out?"

"I'll send word tonight to my first officer. He'll contact any naval ship he can, we'll bring them here. These criminals won't see it coming," Jim said, his countenance full of hope and confidence. Anna couldn't help it. She smiled. 

"Well, we need to give you all the information we can. If we're going to do this, we have to do it right." 

Jim nodded. "Absolutely. I'll tell Silver, then we'll both go back to my ship to send out those messages. Tomorrow morning, I want to talk to you and the others, and we'll make a plan. We're gonna make this work, I promise. I won't leave until I see it done."

Whatever reaction he was expecting from the girl, a hug was not it. His eyes flew open wide as Anna suddenly wrapped her arms tight around him, her frame trembling slightly as she sniffled. "Thank you...thank you. We're going to be free. Thank you," she said, her voice wavering as she whispered to the boy. Jim cautiously returned the hug, squeezing her just as tightly as she was him. "How could I not? It's my duty after all," he said with a small smile as she pulled away, wiping her eyes. She chuckled. "I guess it is, Captain Jim."

They walked to the door, opening it as they stepped back into the hallway. At the top of the stairs, Jim put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm going to tell Silver about what's going on, then we'll go back to my ship. You should get some rest, it's late and we have a lot to do tomorrow." 

Anna smiled, nodding her head, before standing on her toes a little to place a small kiss on the boy's cheek. "Of course. See you in the morning," she said, turning to walk down the stairs. Jim sputtered slightly, feeling his face redden intensely as heat spread down his neck and to his ears. Hoping it wasn't too visible, he returned a wave the girl gave as she headed into the stage entrance. 

He rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to walk to his room, warmth still very present in his face.

What a night. 


	14. Play Me a Tune?-Instrumentals and the like

Hello, dear readers! Firstly, thank you for making it this far in my book, I'm honored to see that so many people click to it when I update, it's a true pleasure to have an audience. Secondly, this is NOT a chapter of the story. What this page here is where I'll be putting a link to a YouTube album. When writing, music usually comes to mind for certain scenes and encounters, so I decided to assemble a playlist of those songs. This chapter and the playlist will be updated as the story progresses. Completely optional, but highly recommended. Thanks for tuning in, more to come in the very near future!

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8ZbufwaYU-kuj9IXPShFyRQr9AiDMIh

Song 1: Chapter 1-Jim takes Silver back to the Adventurer  
Song 2: Chapter 3-Dinner scene  
Song 3: Chapter 4-Jim on the bowsprit  
Song 4: Chapter 5-Hiking through Irenia  
Song 5: Chapter 7-Racing  
Song 6: Chapter 10-Annabelle sings  
Song 7: Chapter 13-Jim waits for Anna  
Song 8: Chapter 13-Anna tells her story  
Song 9: Chapter 13-Jim makes a plan

UPDATE: In order to prevent spoilers, from now on I'll post any new songs for the corresponding chapter in the bottom notes column. This way, you'll know what songs to look for on the playlist and not receive any spoilers. Thanks for reading!


	15. Early Morning Meetings

Jim delicately lit the lamp on his desk as Onyx closed the door to the stateroom. Silver pulled curtains over the windows behind them, leaving no room for anyone to look in. After Anna left, Jim told the cyborg everything, as well as his half-formulated plan. They wasted no time returning as swiftly as possible to the Adventurer.

"Alright. We know that there's at least a slave trade here, in Truro," Jim said, pointing at the city on a map. "The mines are here, just North-West of Town Hall, about three leagues from the villages. To our knowledge, that's where most of the slaves are now. We need to figure out how many there are, and where any others might be. Anna said she used to do housework, so it's likely there are people doing that too, elsewhere. She and the others work at the Inn, and we know that they'll be there for another few weeks or so at least."

Jim looked at Onyx. "We need to send word to any Naval ships near us, I don't care who they are or what they're doing, we need help and lots of it. This entire planet needs thorough investigation from the Federation, but for now we need to focus on getting these people out of slavery."

Onyx nodded. "Aye, Captain," the cragorian murmured, pulling out parchment and a quill. Jim looked at Silver. "Tomorrow, you and I will meet with the others, they can give us any other information they have that we might need. Before we take any serious action, we need to know more about who's running this business and how." Silver nodded.

Jim looked down at the map laid out on his desk. "After we meet, Anna can take me up to the villages, see if that lead turns up anything. I don't want to be there long, we have little time here, the dock guards are going to be suspicious if we stay much longer."

Onyx cleared his throat. "I'll have Mr. Ogden deliver these to the nearest off-Calypso spaceport," he said, holding up a few letters. Jim nodded. "Thank you. We'll be back after we talk with Anna tomorrow. You're a life-saver, Onyx," he said, taking some pistol clips from a drawer. Onyx nodded. "Of course, Captain. Good luck," he said, standing from his seat. Jim opened the stateroom door and walked out, his first-mate at his side. "Please, be safe out there Captain," Onyx said quietly as Jim approached the dock-ramp. "I'll do my best," the boy replied, a half-grin on his face. 

Silver walked with him down back to the foggy streets. Jim placed the clips in his pockets, securing them as they headed down the road. The cyborg glanced at him as he did this, an eyebrow raised. Jim caught his look. "You can't be too safe, especially not now," the brunette said quietly. Silver nodded. "No, ye can't. Smart lad ye are. Took me a lot longer ta figure such things out."

Jim nodded. 

Especially not when there's so much on the line. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Jim hurriedly walked down the stairs. For once, he had gotten up earlier than Silver, aggressively shaking the cyborg awake before day had even broken. He doubted he had gotten more than a few hours of sleep the night before. Even Morph was groggy. 

The boy put a hand on the knob to the stage entrance, impatiently waiting for Silver who was still maneuvering around tables to reach him. He tapped his foot urgently until the cyborg finally reached him. He pulled the door open, walking determinedly down the dark hallway until they made it to the lounge. He knocked. Victoria was there to open it, looking rather tired, her red hair wild and untamed.

"You're early," she said in a morning voice. Jim nodded. "We have important stuff to do," he replied. She nodded, yawning as she pulled the door open to let them in. 

The room had been rearranged slightly, a large table brought in and placed in the center of the room with armchairs and couches around it. Maps were spread on it with random items scattered over it to mark various landmarks. Jim spotted Anna sitting on a battered-up scarlet armchair, Andrew asleep on the couch next to her, his head on his chest. 

Jim and Silver took their seats next to Anna. "Where is everyone?" Jim asked, looking at the table. Only Victoria and the violinist (who introduced himself as Amos) were seated. "Asleep or getting ready. We didn't plan to start for another fifteen minutes, you know," Anna said, rubbing her eyes. "Well, we have a lot to do," Jim said. Anna nodded. 

The back door opened and Cecile, Mae, and Isidora walked in, all in nightgowns and robes. The second they were seated, Jim began the meeting. 

"Alright. We need as much information as you can give us. What we already know is that most of the slaves are at the mines, we don't know how many. Others could be house-workers or doing entertainment stuff like you guys. We know that they have some people in the city and at the docks looking out for runaways. That's about it. But it's not enough. What can you tell us?" Jim asked, eyes sweeping the room.

"Well, for one thing, I know that Victor has a list of every slave and every slaveholder in his office. When I got transferred to his service, he made a note on it," Cecile said, running a hand through her brown hair. "How do you know for sure that's what it was for?" Jim asked. 

Cecile rolled her eyes. "He bragged about it. Said only the highest slaveholders keep lists, something about being close to the guy in charge of it all."

"Where's his office?" Jim questioned. "By his room on the top floor. Labelled and everything," Isidora added, glancing up at the ceiling. Jim nodded, scribbling a note down on some parchment. "Okay. What else?"

"There's a building where they keep all the slaves when they're not working. The ones in the mines anyhow. It's heavily guarded," Amos said, pointing at a location on the map. "I remember when I was there, how some poor young man tried to get out. He made it to the secondary entrance before they caught him. The lad received a terrible beating."

Jim nodded. "Anything else about this building?" 

"The cells held around three people each. Last time I was there...maybe four years ago, there were close to five-hundred slaves total. And those cells aren't exactly spacious. They also didn't use a lock and key. There was a control panel that operated the cell doors. It was supposed to be an added safety for the guards in case they had to let people out or in separately."

"Good to know," Jim muttered, writing the extra information on his parchment. 

"Has anyone ever been sold somewhere else outta Truro?" Silver asked. "Not that I've ever heard of," said Andrew. "I think they like to keep business where it's at."

"An' what about t'e mines? What are the hours there?" The cyborg questioned. "Five a.m. to five p.m. with a break at noon for lunch. Everyone's supposed to be back in their cells by seven, lights out at eight," Andrew rattled off. "They were very strict about those times too."

"Alright..." Silver said, stroking his face in thought. "And how many guards are t'ere?" 

"Usually there was one guard for every ten slaves. Everyone was chained during the day, so I don't think they were too worried about an up-rise then," Amos said. Andrew nodded in agreement. 

"Another thing, all tools were put away in a side building here," Victoria said, pointing at a space near the main area. "We would put it all away before going to our cells. Pickaxes, shovels, lights, hoes, drills, you name it. All kept locked up until work the next day."

Jim nodded. "Okay. This is good. Anything else?" Most everyone shook their heads, except Anna who began to speak. "Well...the man in charge of all this is Silas. I've only seen him once, but he's pretty intimidating. Big wolf candid. He's got complete and total control over the slaves and the slave-holders. I remember Victor was going to go to this party he'd been raving about for weeks, but the day before, he got a letter from Silas for a mandatory meeting. Victor dropped all of his plans right then and there. They're all terrified of him."

Jim looked at her for a minute, then nodded. "Definitely good to know. Okay. Anna, you and I are going to go to the villages in an hour as planned. Silver, we need to get that list, we won't be able to do much without it. Until then, everyone keep low, we don't want anyone who shouldn't to find out what we're doing. Thanks, you guys." They all nodded, many leaving their seats and going in different directions. 

"Lad, me and Morphy here will work on gettin' t'at list from Victor after we report ta Onyx. Don't worry about us, I've done stuff like t'is many a time, we can do it. You an' Annie hurry out, ye've got a mission ta do," Silver said, nudging the boy. Jim nodded, standing from his seat. "Okay," he said. He looked at Anna. "I have something to grab from my room. Meet me in the dining room?" She nodded.

Jim walked out the door, and Anna stood to follow when Silver put a hand on her shoulder. "Annie? Make sure he stays outta trouble fer me, will ye?" She nodded, giving a small smile as she laid a hand over his. "I'll do my best." The ursid smiled in return, letting her continue out the door. 

"Good luck ye two."


	16. I Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear readers! Many apologies for the late update, I've been recovering from a wisdom teeth removal and just started school again. As such, posts on my stories will be farther apart, but my goal is to have a new chapter once a week. 
> 
> Also-in case you didn't see the update on the playlist page, I am no longer going to add songs to it as the story progresses in order to not spoil events for the future. Instead, I'll be leaving the link to it at the bottom of every chapter with any songs that may be in it with event markings. Thank you for reading! Until next time!
> 
> -spideyfreakradio

The fog thickened as Jim and Anna walked out of the city boundaries. The cobblestone path became gnarled and overgrown as they went, now barely visible through the thick vines and weeds covering it. It was obvious that no one had been there for a while. 

Dirt kicked up under their shoes as they walked further through dark forests. Despite it still being morning, Jim had thought to bring a lantern-which now he and Anna were very grateful for, being able to see ahead by at least a few feet. 

"So...Jim. Are you ever going to tell me why you want to see the villages so much?" Anna asked, brushing stray leaves from her leggings. Jim laughed through his nose a little. "Well, I guess you're going to find out eventually. Ever heard of Treasure Planet?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nearly a half-hour later, Jim finally finished his tale.

"So, now you're looking for the rest of the treasure? And some of it landed here, on Calypso of all places?" Anna questioned in surprise. 

"Uh huh," Jim responded, holding the lamp far ahead of them. "A lead led me to believe that if there's any treasure left here, it'll be in the villages."

Anna nodded. "I remember...rumors of gold raining from the sky. I never saw any of it, but I guess people weren't joking." Jim's eyes narrowed as he peered through the thinning fog. "Yup. How close are we anyway?"

"Pretty close. Hey-look!" Anna said, suddenly pointing up the road. There, probably fifteen feet away was an old, damaged looking stone wall with a half-circle cut out of it as a door. Just like the road, vines covered it densely, twisting and turning eerily over it like marble. The two paused in front of it, gazing at its foreboding entrance.

"Wow...it's been a while," Anna said quietly, almost in a whisper. Jim looked at her, concerned. "You sure you're up to this?" He asked worriedly. Still looking forward, she nodded firmly. "I've avoided it for too long."

They stepped forward into the mist, walking through the gate. Within seconds, they were passing broken-down houses and shops, many half-burned to the ground, others with scorch marks. Wind whistled and whispered through leaf-less trees, sending cold drafts around them, softly speaking almost. "Creepy," Jim muttered. "I can see why nobody comes up here."

Anna nodded. "People think it's cursed or something. Haunted, I guess." Jim whistled. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was. But for now...just keep your eyes open for anything treasure-like."

Minutes ticked by as the pair passed through the long deserted streets, occasionally catching a glimpse of some animal dashing through the ruins around them, or a bird soaring out from an ashen tree. Despite it being mid-morning, the villages were as dark as early evening. Fog seeped at their feet, twisting and turning around tree roots and rotting huts, curling ominously. To say that it was unsettling would be a drastic understatement...already on edge, such appearances did not help at all in settling their nerves.

Wind whispers crept through the otherwise silent atmosphere, alone the only sound amidst the new company in the village until Jim's soft voice cut through. "Hey-you see that?"

He was pointing ahead. There, something flickered. Something dusty, something...

"Gold! It's gold!" Anna exclaimed quietly, still perturbed by the eerie town. They picked up their pace, crouching down to see what they had found. Sure enough, two trabloons lay on the road, covered in a thin layer of dirt. "And look-there!" Jim said, looking forward. More coins. Like a broken trail, they lay in a sort of line up the street, scattered up the sloped road. 

They stood, rushing to follow the line of gold. They must have gone fifty yards before they stopped, looking up at a massive building the trail disappeared into. "Oh..." Anna said softly. "I remember this place." Jim looked at her as she gazed up at the cathedral-like structure. "This was the village leader's home-Henry was his name. My parents were some of the first settlers, so we came here often. I used to play with Henry's children on Sunday afternoons...I forgot how big it was."

Anna stepped forward, pushing the half-open door all the way in, causing it to creak loudly. The entryway hallway was enormous, stretching far back to a wide stairway. Dangling chandeliers chimed in the gentle wind, gleaming in the daylight that stretched down from gaps in the ceiling. Unlike the rest of the village, this place had natural light, so Jim put out his lantern. They cautiously stepped inside, walking over the twisting roots and leaves of foliage on the ground, looking at the few paintings on the walls now covered in vines. It was strangely beautiful, like something out of a fairy-tale. 

Anna gasped softly, gazing around her, stretching her hand to tables lining the walls, gently touching the few remaining antiques set atop them. The two seemed to forget the purpose of their excursion as they slowly walked through, seemingly enchanted by the oddly serene spectacle. "We didn't have a Town Hall yet, so our balls and holiday gatherings were always here. Henry and his family were always so hospitable," Anna said softly.

Jim gazed around as they continued to the stairs. It was odd, but he could almost see how people would have danced here, talked with one another with not a worry in the world. Without the knowledge of their impending disaster.

"Hey, look!" Jim said excitedly, pointing to the first landing of the stairs. Illuminated by natural white light from a hole in the ceiling was an enormous pile of gold and chests, half covered by a fallen-over tapestry. Anna gasped as they ran to it. It was by far the largest treasure deposit Jim had found yet, trabloons, rubies, jewels, and all matter of valuables littered the landing. 

Anna laughed in absolute disbelief as she held up handfuls of the treasure. "How..." she murmured. Jim grinned, pulling out his notepad. He made a quick sketch of the village and an "X" where the building was before sifting through the gold with her. "Look at it all! Victor would give an arm and a leg just to touch this stuff!" Anna said, gazing at an enormous solar-crystal in her palm. 

Jim nodded. "This is definitely going to be worth a lot to the Federation. There's some solar-crystals here I've never seen before...hey, what's this?" He questioned, holding a white-washed gem. Jim's eyes narrowed looking at it. It was small, about the size of his palm, star-shaped and dimensional. Anna raised her eyebrow, gently touching its center. "No idea. We can ask Andrew, he knows all about solar-crystals. It's pretty though."

Jim nodded, rotating it in his hand. He felt like he could almost hear something from it...fragments of glass, maybe. He looked at it a minute more before pocketing it. 

"Let's go," he said, offering a hand to Anna, helping her stand. Together they walked back through the manor and the towns, under the gate, and onto main roads. 

"Thanks for taking me," Jim said shyly, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it must have been difficult going back." Anna nodded. "It was. But I'm glad I did. Made me feel a little better about it all," she said with a small smile. 

Jim returned the gesture before he felt her hand brush against his. His heart skipped a beat as she gently put her hand into his palm. Cautiously, he curled his fingers, feeling her do the same. They didn't speak. They just walked. Smiling all the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8ZbufwaYU-kuj9IXPShFyRQr9AiDMIh  
> Song 10: Entering the village  
> Song 11: Entering Henry's old manor


	17. Day is Done

Jim tapped his foot on the ground anxiously, constantly glancing around the Inn for any sign of Silver. After their arrival, Andrew filled them in on what was happening. He and Amos had managed to get Victor out of the building by writing a fake entertainment prospect letter while Silver and Morph went up to his office to get the list. They weren't down yet, and Andrew had no idea when Victor would be back. Jim breathed heavily, wringing his hands as he watched the Inn entrance. He prayed that Victor would take long enough for the cyborg to be done. 

Just when the boy was getting ready to ask the waitress if she had seen the ursid, a clomping came from the upstairs hallway. Jim looked up at the stairs to see Silver and Morph coming down, the shapeshifter chirping happily. He sighed in relief and stood, walking to the them. 

"That took a while," the boy said, glancing at the entrance. Silver nodded as they took seats at the bar. "Morphy managed ta turn himself into the key fer the lock, but Vicky's got one messy office. T'e list was hard ta find." Jim raised an eyebrow. "You've got it then?" The ursid grinned, opening his coat enough for the lad to see a worn stack of parchment folded in a pocket. "I don't t'ink the man'll be missin' it either. It was under a stack o' dusty books n' folders." 

"That's good. Let's go find Andrew, and we-" 

The Inn door burst open, making a few nearby patrons and a waiter jump. A red-faced Victor stomped in, angrily tearing off his gloves, clutching them tightly in one hand. He trudged to the bar, taking a seat next to Silver as he hailed the bartender. "Brandy," he muttered. The tender-a whiskery rat alien-slid a glass of amber liquid to him. He took a tight-lipped sip of the drink, glancing at Silver. The cyborg nervously cleared his throat. "Everything alright sir?" 

Victor sighed exasperatedly. "Can't say that it is. Confounded juveniles and their pranks cost me hours of precious time." He huffed, taking another sip of brandy before he looked at the ursid. "I've seen you around here...what's your name? Are you staying at the Inn?" Silver nodded. "Aye. Me name's Silver-me crew are takin' care o' trade affairs here." Victor raised an eyebrow. "Sailor, huh? What's your position?" He inquired. "Captain," the cyborg replied. Victor hummed, swirling his drink. "Well, Captain, I'm glad to see you've taken up temporary residence at the Inn. I'm the Entertainment Manager here. Victor Griffin," he said, holding out a hand. 

Silver shook it, trying to keep a genuine smile. Victor then noticed Jim, who was trying to keep to himself on Silver's other side. "Who's this?" He asked, peering around the cyborg. "Ah-t'is here is Jim Hawkins, me cabin boy," the cyborg said lowly, putting a hand on the lad's shoulder. Jim turned his head to look at them, his eyes catching Victor's. The man smiled. "Ah, yes. I remember you. Good to meet you again, Jim," he said snidely. He held his hands towards the brunette, grinning malevolently. Jim took it hesitantly, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

"Well, gentlemen, it was good chatting with you, but I'm afraid I have some business to attend to. Good day," Victor said, standing as he straightened his suit. The two watched him ascend the stairs and go out of sight. "Creepy fellow," Silver muttered. Jim's eyes narrowed as they left their seats. "Sure is. By the way, we found you-know-what, and there's a lot of it. I drew up a map of how to get there, but for now, we have to meet with the others."

The two made their way to the stage entrance, glancing around the room before they went in. Jim knocked on the lounge door, and an eager Victoria opened it, ushering them in. 

"What now?" Isidora asked as Silver put the list on the table. "Now," Jim said, looking at the row of names. "We start planning."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time they finally came to a consensus, it was nearly evening. Jim had made several trips back to the Adventurer, taking messages to and fro from Onyx and the others. "Okay," he said, writing the last name on a piece of parchment. "These are all the slaveholders. Amos and Andrew, you're in charge of writing fake meeting letters for all of them, and they have to be delivered sometime tomorrow evening. We need them to meet at the Capital in the Abandoned Villages at midnight this weekend-let's do Friday, that leaves us a two days to get ready-and they must understand that it's mandatory." The two men nodded, taking a stack of parchment and a box of ink wells from a shelf on the wall, sitting down to write. 

Laying out a re-drawn map of the abandoned towns, Jim circled the treasure building. "My crew will retrieve the gold here tomorrow at noon. Onyx was able to contact two federal vessels and one of them is military, and they've both agreed to help. They'll be here tomorrow night. While the holders are at the 'meeting', my crew will go to all the places slaves are at apart from the mines. We'll get them to my ship while Captain Edward's crew go to the mines to get the others. Captain Clark's crew will go with Silver and I to the meeting. We'll ambush the holders there."

The others nodded, peering at the map. Jim looked at Cecile and Mae. "I want you two to help my crew when they arrive to find domestic slaves." The girls nodded as Jim handed them a list of addresses. "Isidora, Amos, Victoria, and Anna," the brunette said, pointing at them in turn. "I'm assigning you to go with Captain Edward's crew to the mines. Andrew, can you come with me and Silver to the towns on Friday?" Andrew nodded. "Jim?" Anna said, looking at the boy. "I think I'd prefer to go with you and Drew."

Andrew's eyebrows furrowed. "Ann, I think you'd be safer at the mines. If Victor sees you anywhere near the villages, or Silas, he won't hesitate to do his worst. You're practically famous with those thugs for running away." Anna crossed her arms. "And what about you? You'd be just as likely to be punished-you've ran away just as much as I have. Besides, I'm better with a pistol than you are." Andrew opened his mouth to protest then closed it with an annoyed look on his face. "Only if Jim's okay with it," he huffed. Jim looked at Anna. "I suppose so, but I don't want you anywhere without me, Andrew, or Silver. Okay?" The girl nodded with a smile.

"I think we're about ready then," Jim said, looking at the maps on the desk. "Yeah, just one more thing though," Isidora said, holding up a clawed hand. "If these letters are allegedly from Silas, then how are we gonna get him to the meeting?" Jim scratched his head. "Who's his second in command?" Silver asked. Amos examined the list. "A guy named 'Jasper Connoway,'" he said, adjusting his glasses. "T'en make it from him n' make it sound urgent," the cyborg said, feeding Morph a cracker. The candid nodded, making a note on some parchment.

Jim looked at the group, hands on his waist. "Well, guys," he said. "Let's get to work."


	18. "Asks" Pt.1

Hello, all! 

Firstly, apologies for the absence of more chapters, October has been immensely busy for me and my family. However, because of this, I have decided to elongate the next part of this work and release the next chapter this Halloween! It's going to be a more major one, and I hope you'll enjoy it! 

Secondly-I am pleased to announce that we have officially reached over 500 hits on this story! I can't express the joy I've had for this remarkable achievement-a, because Treasure Planet is unfortunately an incredibly underrated film and not many people look into its fanfiction, and b, because I never considered my writing or stories to be that notable. It's been tremendously heartwarming to see so many of you read this book when I upload new chapters or make announcements, and it's because of you all that we have hit so many views on it. So, thank you, thank you all so much for your dedication and interest in my work, it means a lot. :)

ANYWAY! Due to interest from some of my friends who read this work, I've decided to begin the first part of "Asks." On this chapter, comments are open to questions about the story! If you have any questions about characters, developments, plot points, music, or my plans for the future of this book (or anything else, really) feel free to leave it in the comments, I'll be sure to get to it. Please note that I will refrain from spoiling anything, so you'll be more likely to receive a straightforward answer about something like character past. ;)  
If this becomes something you want to see more of, I'll add more "Asks" pages in the future. Thank you, dear readers! Stay safe!

-spideyfreakradio


	19. You say you want a revolution...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Halloween!!! Halloween is by far my favorite holiday, and I won't let a world pandemic stop my festive fun-Hocus Pocus for days, haha. Anyway, stay safe everyone, and most importantly, have fun today!

Captain Edward stepped from the wooden planks of the bridge that connected his ship and the mossy stone of the dock. The serval's ears twitched as he surveyed the spaceport. Captain Hawkins wasn't exaggerating when he described the state of Calypso-vines and foliage twisted around the streets and buildings, making it all look in a greater state of disarray. His slitted eyes narrowed as he pulled a pocket-watch from his coat, confirming that he was ten minutes early.

The sound of engines whirring and rumbling boomed over the din of the darkened port, causing Edward to look up. Another Navy ship was flying to a dock two away from his-not that he would have recognized it as a Federal vessel if not for his decades of experience. Captain Clark had done well in disguising his ship; covering the R.L.S name with tarps and sheets, dressing his crew in common sailor's attire, and busying his men with crates of alleged goods.

The feline watched as the ship boarded, two dock guards approaching the vessel as the crew secured it. A fox dressed in pirate-like Captain's apparel met the guards at the end of his bridge, arms folded behind his back. Edward observed them as they spoke before Clark plopped a small sack into one of the men's outstretched hands. The two left as the fox folded his arms behind his back. The man gazed at the port before his head turned to Edward. He waved.

Edward smiled, returning the gesture as he made his way towards the officer. "Hello, there Captain," the feline said, shaking Clark's hand. "Happy to see you showed," the fox responded, golden eyes narrowing as he grinned. "Captain Hawkins here yet?" Edward hummed, looking towards the towns. "I don't believe so-unless that's him there?" He said, pointing a clawed finger to the road. A young brunette was pushing his way through the crowd, a pink blob just above his shoulder, and a tall cragorian at his side.

The two officers turned to face them as they approached. Jim's eyes were stern and determined as he stopped in front of them, giving them a salute. They returned it. "Captain Hawkins?" Edward questioned, holding out a hand. Jim shook it, nodding. "The one and only. Thank you for coming on short notice," the brunette said, shaking Clark's hand as well.

Clark's ears twitched. "Duty to the crown-besides, this planet needs a thorough sweep. As soon as we get those people out of here, I'm sending a letter to the Capitol for a deep crime-check request. Who knows what else is hiding here..." Onyx nodded in agreement. "Indeed, sir. Captain Edward, is your crew ready?" The feline looked back to his ship where his first officer waved, giving a nod. "Yes," he responded, canines flashing. Onyx put his hands behind his rocky back as Edward gestured to his officer. "Here's a map of where your skiffs can fly to, we'll have people waiting for you..." Onyx said as he and the felinoid walked to the ship.

Jim and Clark watched them leave. "And is your crew ready?" The young Captain questioned. Clark smiled. "As we'll ever be. Lead on, Hawkins."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim peered through the dense fog as he maneuvered his skiff just over the blackened trees to the villages. The others following close behind in their longboats stayed low to keep as quiet as possible, their machines' only sound a dim hum. No one spoke as they journeyed.

Jim's eyes narrowed as he tried to look through the fog. A cold wind blew around them and the lad felt his fingers stiffen around the steer of the skiff. Silver sat next to him examining the area, his mechanical eye zooming in and out of focus, still unable to see much through the thick mist. Despite it being late evening, the towns were eerily dim in a gray light, barely enough to see, but Jim still kept a small lantern at the head of his longboat.

"There," Anna called back softly from the bow, pointing downwards. Jim began a gradual decent, going slow, cautiously avoiding tree branches and decrepit buildings. He came to a gentle stop in a widened alleyway, glancing back to where the others halted behind him, awaiting direction. 

Andrew quietly leapt off the skiff, peering through the fog before he nodded, pointing forward to the largest structure Jim had seen so far in the abandoned village. "Leave the longboats here, they won't see them since they'll be coming from the East," Andrew called back as the others began climbing off their vessels. Silver grabbed the lantern as he lowered himself to the weed-ridden cobblestone below, glancing back to where Jim and Andrew were helping Anna off the skiff. Jim came to his side as the cyborg lifted the light forward, trying to see through the dense fog.

"They won't find the boats unless they're looking for them. Not through this," the brunette said as they moved forward, following Anna and Andrew to the building. "Let's hope they don't," the ursid replied, glancing back. Now only a few yards away, the skiffs were already gone in the mist. Silver nodded in silent approval.

They stopped in front of the entrance. Its spruce door stood tall and regal, adorned with painted spirals and the Queen's crown. Miraculously, it was mostly intact, more so than any other building in the decrepit town. "What now?" Captain Clark said, stepping forward. "This is where they'll come through," Andrew said, giving the door a little push, causing it to creak slightly open. "And what about us?" One of the crew called from behind.

"We'll be in the servants' passage. This way," Andrew answered, walking around to the back of the building. Jim followed close behind until they reached a small door, half hidden in the vines clutching the white stone of the Capitol. Andrew took hold of the handle, trying to push the door open, but to no avail. He rammed his shoulder to it, but it made no budge. "Here," Jim said, standing by the blonde as they pushed together. The wood creaked and groaned, and the men grunted as they worked until it finally gave way.

They stumbled forward as the door swung inwards, causing clouds of dust and dirt to rise from the floor. Jim coughed, waving a hand to fan away the matter until it settled. Silver lifted the lantern forward to better illuminate the entry as Jim stepped inside. He nearly tripped over a splintered cabinet laying on the floor, just on the other side of the entrance. Andrew peered over the brunette's shoulder and frowned in disgust. "That's why we couldn't get the door open," he muttered.

Jim looking more closely at the ground and felt his stomach turn as the lantern's light glowed downwards. The rotted cabinet lay in half-shattered pieces, laying heavily on a skeleton with arms outstretched in front of it, jaw agape. A large cracked hole was visible at the back of its skull. Andrew walked in front of Jim and stepped over the heap, eyebrows furrowed. "Expect to see more of that," he warned lowly. Jim nodded, jaw clenched as he walked around the obstacle. Anna followed close behind, noticeably avoiding looking at the spectacle as she quickened her pace to her brother. 

They descended down a small flight of stairs that led them down far enough to be underground, careful to not set foot on decayed steps to sink into. Jim avoided a dead rat laying obscenely on one of the stairs, wrinkling his nose as he walked carefully around it.

Silver paced to the front, holding the light out as he ushered Jim along. The boy glanced back at the frozen skeleton, turning back once he saw its black sockets staring at him. He shuddered a bit as he unwillingly imagined how the poor man must have died. Clark came up next to him, shaking his head as his yellow eyes narrowed. "It will bring me immense satisfaction to put those villains in nooses," he muttered with a growl. "You and me both," the boy replied. Silver nodded in agreement with a tight frown.

Clark's crew followed, speaking in low whispers as they stepped over broken furniture and crumbled stone. Shadows of skeletons were dotted along the sides of the wall, hidden in darkness as they moved as well as small oak doors leading into the main lobby, all of which took up the entire first floor. After progressing to the end of the long corridor, Andrew stopped, peering around the corner. "This wraps around the building," he said, looking back at Jim. The boy nodded. "Captain Clark, would you send some of your men down?"

The fox nodded, turning to address his crew. "Groups of four, station yourselves at each entrance. Wait for our command." Echoes of "Aye Captain," were voiced as the men moved to follow their orders. Silver took a seat in the corner after checking his watch and Anna moved to sit with him. Jim turned to head their direction when Andrew took him by the shoulder, speaking quietly. 

"Jim? Can I ask you...a favor?" The boy asked. Jim nodded. "Look, if anything happens to me here...promise me you'll take care of my sister. She's-" Andrew shook his head, sighing. "She's got nothing else besides her lousy brother." 

Jim took the boy by the shoulder, looking intently at him. "You're anything but lousy. I wish I'd had a brother like you," he said with a smile. "But, yes. Of course. I promise I'll take care of her." Andrew nodded, smiling, a relieved look on his face. "Thank you." Jim returned the gesture and patted the boy's shoulder. The blonde then turned, walking to sit with Anna. 

Jim pulled out his pocketwatch, wiping its glass pane. One hour until midnight.

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For the past twenty minutes, no one had spoken or made a sound, waiting for the time to tick twelve. Jim was becoming tenser by the second, not that he had never worked in a surprise-oriented attack before, but it felt today that more was on the line. A feeling of dread had been steadily looming over him as they sat in silence, but he preoccupied himself by counting stones in the wall. Not that it was very exciting, but it took his mind off his anxiety. He fidgeted with the cuff of his Captain's uniform, gazing forward.

On counting the eighty-second stone, the sound of creaking wood and muffled speaking caused him to whip his head up. Silver too glanced towards the din, putting a hand over Morph who had been shape-shifting on Anna's hand for the good part of the last hour. The cyborg stood, making eye contact with the lad as they both tip-toed to the barred door window. 

About thirty men shuffled into the room, all talking quietly amongst themselves as they gathered in a semi circle facing the entrance. None seemed to notice the presence of Clark's crew in the servants' corridors as some of the newcomers moved to jump-start the electric lamps scattered around the room. Jim spotted Victor standing in the crowd smoking a fat cigar.

"Is he here?" One man asked. 

"Not yet, but we're early." 

"Shh-listen, here that?

"There's a skiff outside-everyone, quiet!"

Jim watched as the entrance door slowly pushed open and a large figure emerged from behind it. The room was deadly silent now as an enormous wolf-candid prowled steadily to the center of the circled group. His clawed hands were folded behind his back as his tail swished softly on the floor. He kept his snout aimed downwards as he peered at the almost quaking men, red eyes glinting, stopping, watching in silence. Jim felt his heart-beat quicken as he observed from the darkness. Andrew came up next to him. "Silas," he whispered.

"So..." the wolf spoke softly. "Who, I wonder, thought it so vital to call all of us here tonight?" The others looked at each other with expressions of confusion, some whispering and shaking their heads. 

_"Well?"_ Silas questioned a little louder. One man raised a shaking hand, stepping forward, a mouse to a bird in size as he stood in front of the candid. "P-Pardon me sir...but-didn't you call this meeting?" Silas's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the rest of the crowd, all of which were hesitantly nodding their heads. Jim flagged the man at the door next to him, who did so to the next person, every man waving to all the groups around the building. Jim put his hand on the doorknob, keeping one hand firmly on his pistol.

"Is this some sort of childish joke?" Silas snarled, staring at the group with threatening eyes. The men began to shake their heads in a panic as the candid brought his arms to his sides, claws flexing. "Then _what,_ pray tell, is happening?" He demanded, teeth bared. 

Jim took a deep breath, shooting a look at Silver before pushing open the door. At his entrance, all the other servants' hallway doors opened as well as Clark's crew stepped inside, rifles aimed. Silas's ears perked as the slave-holders whipped around, all turning to face the ambush, disoriented as many began to mutter in confusion. 

"Mr. Silas Evermore," Jim stated firmly, his voice echoing around the large room as he stepped forward. "As a Captain of her majesty's navy, I charge you and your associates with counts of murder, kidnapping, illegal means of labor, and other countless felonies and misdemeanors. You are all under arrest."

Some of the men backed towards the entrance, which was quickly barred by Clark's men. Silas gazed around the room of officers before locking eyes with Jim. "Navy scum," he muttered with a snarl. "We have you surrounded. Drop your weapons," the boy commanded, hand steady on his pistol. Clark stepped from his door, a frown on his face as he drew his sword. The wolf chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head at the sight.

"Looks like we've been found out, my good fellows. Pig's out of the bag. Our operation is seemingly doomed...but we don't go down without a fight, now, do we?" Jim's hand tightened around the handle of his gun as Silas drew his pistol, aiming it at the boy. _"ATTACK!"_ The wolf howled, firing. Jim ducked out of the way as the bullet pinged into the wooden beams behind him, embedding itself in a mass of wires as the lights above flickered on and off.

Sounds of guns exploding and swords clashing resounded in the room as the lights temporarily cut into darkness, adding to the chaos of the scene. Jim felt Silver's hand on his shoulder, forcefully pulling him behind a stack of crates as they took shelter. Through the flicker, he could see Andrew and Anna firing from the servant's quarters. 

Jim peered over his barrier and aimed, hitting a man in the shoulder as his pistol rang out. He fired again and again, almost always making his target before a lit cherry bomb rolled into the mass of crates. He watched as it approached, hollering, trying to shove Silver away before it exploded. The force sent them both careening back to the wall and Jim felt his pistol fly away from his hand. "Ah," he groaned, clutching his now aching wrist as he tried to peer through the smoke to find the cyborg.

A large figure approached him through the smog. "Silver?" He coughed, trying to sit up. His eyes widened as the man came into view. "Think again, you swab," Victor snarled, clutching the boy around his throat. He slammed him against the wall behind them causing the boy's head to whip against the surface with a painful crack as the man held him up, grip tightening. Jim frantically pried at the man's fingers, trying to pull them away as he choked and sputtered. "We spent _years_ putting this operation together. Naval dogs like you won't tear it apart," Victor hissed.

Jim's vision began to darken as pressure built around his eyes, his hearing began to leave him, his arms were losing strength as he kicked and struggled, until suddenly, Victor's grip loosened enough for him to breathe. He took greedy gulps of air as his sight returned, trying to figure out why the man stopped. 

Victor chuckled deeply, looking to his right as he cocked his head. Jim peered out the corner of his eye to see Silver standing, glaring menacingly at the man, standing in an aggressive stance, sword drawn. "Well, look here! The 'Captain's' come to save his cabin boy!" Victor laughed. The ursid growled, eyes narrowing as he spoke. "No. I've come to save my son." 

Jim felt his heart leap at the statement before bracing himself as the cyborg swiftly drew a pistol and fired, hitting a shocked Victor square in the chest. Jim fell to the floor, crumpling to his knees, still somewhat weak as Silver ran to him. "Ye alright lad?" The ursid questioned worriedly, helping the boy to his feet. "Y-Yeah, I'm-I'm fine...you...you really-?" Jim began before a cabinet behind them began falling their direction. 

They leapt out of the way, hurrying along the edge of the wall into a servant's entrance to where Andrew and Anna were still shooting from. "Jim, there you are! We're running out of clips, but I think we're winning," the girl said, brushing her dirty blonde hair behind her as she reloaded her gun. The boy looked out. Sure enough, only a handful of Silas's men were still standing, along with Silas himself. The rest were either down or detained as the fight continued. 

Jim nodded, placing the rest of his ammo on the ground between them as he surveyed the scene. Grabbing a stray gun a few feet from the entrance, he loaded it, firing into the room, lamps still flickering unpredictably. He shot before looking up at Silver. "Did...did you mean it?" He asked loudly over the din. The ursid sighed, nodding as he smiled. "Aye, lad. I sure did." Jim felt a surge of joy as a grin began to grow on his face before a tremendous explosion boomed from inside.

The four ducked to the ground as the foundation quaked. There were yells as Clark's men ran out the entrance, many carrying their wounded or handcuffed slave-holders as dust spilled from the ceiling. "What's going on?!" Anna shouted. Silver looked up, his mechanical eye whirring as it examined the support. "It's cavin' in," he muttered. "C'mon, we gotta go!" He yelled, pushing the youth forward. 

Silver took the lead, marking out a safe path for the others to follow as they sprinted to the entrance staircase. Yells could be heard behind them as parts of the ceiling fell around Silas's remaining men. Jim watched the cyborg run through past the door, stopping for the trio to catch up before he looked up. A rocky part of the structure began to fall. Jim grabbed Anna and Andrew, pulling them backwards as it crashed directly in front of them, causing the girl to scream.

They coughed as dust poofed up around them. Jim put a hand on Anna's shoulder, trying to help her up the rest of the stairs, Andrew behind her as they climbed. Jim could hear Silver calling from the top. "We're coming!" He yelled up, trying to see through the dust. A growl echoed loudly behind them, causing the three to turn.

"Are you now?!" Silas shouted angrily. The candid bared his teeth, raising his pistol. "Not all of you," he snarled. He squeezed the trigger.

.....

Andrew turned back up to face Jim and Anna. The fire cracked and echoed as the boy jolted. He looked at his sister before making eye contact with Jim, falling almost in slow motion. His eyes communicated everything, mouth falling open slightly. "Promise," Jim thought, recounting his vow. His eyes widened as Andrew fell face forward to the floor. 

Anna was screaming hysterically. Jim was frozen for a moment in shock before his mind returned to him. He pulled the girl close to him as he hauled her up the stairs and through the doorway. She was shaking fiercely, howling, sobbing, grabbing at his hands, one arm outstretched back as more of the basement's ceiling crumbled at the bottom of the stairs. Jim felt his core harden at the sound of her pained wails. He had never heard such anguish. 

Silver met them, and with one look from the boy, he understood. A pained expression seized the ursid as he helped Jim and Anna outside. Once they had made it, the girl crumpled to her knees, sobbing and gasping. Jim knelt with her, holding her tightly. 

_"I promise I'll take care of her."_

_"Thank you."_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim laid his coat over Anna, who lay asleep in their skiff, tear tracks visible. She hiccupped, still shaking a little. He frowned, sighing as he gave her shoulder a squeeze before hopping to the ground. She had sat there crying with him for a while before she drifted to sleep. He had carried her there, for the privacy and for the rest. She was going to need it.

He walked towards Silver, who was helping keep watch of their new prisoners as Clark and his men dragged whoever else was still left inside out. They recovered Andrew's body first, laying it respectfully in his own skiff, covering him with the cleanest sheet they had. Then came any other survivors. Silas was among them.

Jim had been silent up until the point when Clark dragged a bruised and bloodied Silas up to kneel with his associates. The boy slowly walked to stand in front of the candid, arms stiff at his sides.

"I've met a number of despicable men in my career," Jim began, speaking firmly but quietly. "But you...you're one of the worst. I don't know what in Etherium's name would compel a savage beast like yourself to commit genocide on a peaceful people...take the young survivors hostage...and force them into slavery. And then hide it all." 

He stepped closer to the candid. "You don't deserve death. You deserve a life sentence in the darkest, most revolting cell the empire has to offer. And I'm going to make sure you get it," he spat. Silas said nothing. "Get them out of my sight," Jim commanded with disgust as Clark's men hauled the prisoners to their skiffs.

Jim sighed as he walked back towards Silver. "Well, lad," the cyborg said quietly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "We did it." The boy nodded slightly. "Yeah."

The ursid huffed softly as they made their way back to their skiff, climbing aboard. "Let's get back ta Onyx, huh?" Jim nodded, looking at the still sleeping Anna. 

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the depressing chapter, I promise the next few ones will be happier.
> 
> Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8ZbufwaYU-kuj9IXPShFyRQr9AiDMIh
> 
> Song 12: Battle begins  
> Song 13: Andrew's Death


	20. Update

Hey guys

So, so sorry about the lack of uploads for the past month. School has been incredibly homework-heavy and it's been difficult to find time for other things and I've been occupied with a new FNAF story (if you're into those games, I highly recommend), but I've also been trying to compile a comprehensive storyline for "There Be Treasure Await'n." So far, I've got a lot of things planned out and it is well in motion. I hope to update sometime before Christmas, but it might have to be sometime after. Promise that this isn't discontinued, thank you all so much for your patience and for reaching over 700 hits, it helps keep me motivated. Stay safe, everyone.


	21. Freeing, isn't it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! Good to be back...chapters have been harder to update lately, but please note that any breaks in-between does NOT mean the story has been discontinued. If it was, I'd say so...
> 
> Anyway, happy late-Christmas, everyone be safe and enjoy the wrapping up of the holidays. Here's to a new year!

It took nearly three days, but with their combined forces, Jim and Captains Clark and Edward were able to round up all the slave-holders and their accomplices. In total, there were nearly two-hundred people and about fifteen hundred enslaved prisoners. They were all astounded by what they found...since Amos' days at the mines, the slave population had increased by over one hundred percent. It was revolting as not many new quarters had been built to accommodate this, and instead, more people had been forced into the already cramped and filthy cells. News by now had reached the Federation and relief ships (and jail-boats) were either already there or were on their way.

Jim couldn't count all the congratulations or hand-shakes or many weepy thank-you's he had received since everyone had been freed. And in all truthfulness, he was barely registering any of it. He was too preoccupied with other matters.

...

Andrew's funeral had been short but meaningful. There weren't many there, as not many people had known the boy, but he had gotten an honorary burial dedicated like a fallen Captain's would have. Despite not really knowing him, Jim still felt greatly affected by Andrew's loss. He was obviously a great friend, a great brother, and most importantly, a great man. The universe had truly lost a noble soul.

The services had been over for nearly two days by this point and those leaving Calypso were leaving in just a few hours. Isidora and Mae (among many others) were going with Captain Edward to Staraford with hopes of training at the universities there-Isidora now pursued a career in the Navy while Mae hoped to graduate from medical school. Both promised to stay in touch. Amos and Cecile had started courtship and opted to stay on Calypso and help with the cleanup efforts. 

Anna and Victoria however, had both taken up jobs on the R. L. S. Adventurer. Victoria proved to be quite adept in culinary expertise, and as Francis had nearly seventy mouths to feed on board, Jim decided to extend an offer as his apprentice-that and he knew Anna needed a friend among new people. And as for her, he assigned her with the ship's official documenter-meaning she'd be in charge of recording the crew's daily chores, any brawls or attacks, interactions with other ships, dockings, and the Captain's logs. Enough to keep her busy and to help her adjust to sailing...she'd be needing it.

...

Even though they wouldn't be leaving for another few hours, Anna was on board, standing near the bow-sprit. It was a darker day, both in the literal and figurative sense-colder too. She pulled her cardigan closer around herself as her hair blew in front of her. The ship was quiet, most of the crew at the docks, for which she was grateful. 

The girl felt a lump well in her throat as a single tear budded from her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek. She always hoped to be able to escape and leave, but she never thought it'd be without her brother...

She closed her eyes. Her eyebrow's furrowed as the memory of him unwillingly crossed her mind again...

First, a small, blonde-haired boy waving from outside their home, motioning excitedly to the kite he made. Young Anna wobbled outside from the porch and into the grass, giggling and reaching for the string as her mother came beside her to pick her up from behind. She was hoisted into the air as her father lifted Andrew onto his shoulder. She squinted, the sunlight bright in her eyes as the kite eclipsed the stars.

The memory abruptly changed to images of fire and ash, cinders and blackened wood crashing around her. Yelling and screaming echoed painfully loud around her as she cried. Men were running, and people were falling to the ground, many not getting up or even moving when they did. Gunshots blasted through the valley, a noise that shook her to her core. She gripped her stuffed-rabbit closer as she trembled, not sure where to go or what to do as her home went up in smoke. 

Anna yelped as a large man took hold of her arm roughly and began dragging her towards him. She scrambled and kicked, trying to pull away before the man was hit over the head with a large pipe and he fell. Andrew was standing behind him, shirt stained with...blood? Tears were rolling down his face and the girl noticed that he had his father's necklace around his neck. Before she could ask any questions, he immediately dropped the weapon and picked her up even though she was nearly his size and ran towards the forest. 

He stopped abruptly as more men surrounded them. He held her closer as she cried. "It's gonna be okay, okay? We're gonna be okay," he whispered, concealing the tremor and fear in his voice. Anna hid her face in the crook of his neck, arms wrapped around him tightly as the men came closer...

The memory changed again...to that night. 

_"We're coming!" Jim called with a cough, squinting through the dust. Anna could feel his hand firmly on her_ _shoulder, trying to guide her forward while Andrew hurried behind them._

 _"Are you now?!" A gruff voice growled behind them. She turned her head to see Silas, tensing_ _immediately as she saw the gun he held, pointed right at them. Her eyes widened instinctively as he cocked the pistol. "Not all of you."_

_Andrew quickly turned to them, ushering Anna up the stairs before the sound of Silas' gun cracked loudly. Time itself seemed to stop as his eyes flickered open wider, gazing up at her, almost trying to say something before they began to sink closed, turning to something behind her. Everything was silent and slow as he fell and she tried desperately to grab onto him before she felt Jim's arm hook around her waist, pulling her back._

_She watched as Andrew fell to the floor face-down, eyes closed as dust billowed around him, quickly blocking the sight of his body. She couldn't hear anything, and she could barely feel the ground shaking under her feet as she fought in Jim's grasp to get back to the stairs. Her throat began to burn as she realized she was screaming. Tears furiously fell down her cheeks as she shook._

_Anna felt her limbs weaken as she was pulled further to the door. She was vaguely aware of Silver's mechanical arm curling around both of them and hurrying them outside past broken debris and falling stone._

_Eventually, they were far enough from the entrance and Anna felt her legs give out completely. She sank to the ground and sobbed into her hands, shaking intensely as Jim knelt in front of her, engulfing her in an embrace as she wept...until sleep gently took her..._

Anna sighed, hugging her cowl tighter around her shoulders. She was ever grateful to Jim. For everything. For the last few days, he was one of the few who always stayed at her side, always ready to comfort or help. Twice he had come running to her and Victoria's room when she woke screaming from a nightmare. And now a job, one that would take her away from this star-forsaken place.

Anna felt a small smile grace her lips as she looked up at the Etherium. She'd wanted to go out there for so long...now she could. She took a deep inhale as she fingered the tassels of her cowl, just now noticing the steady clump of a prosthetic leg approaching her. She turned her head to see the cyborg coming up beside her. 

"Hey Silver," she said quietly as the man put a hand on her shoulder. "Heya lass. How ye doin'?" he replied reverently, looking at her in gentle concern. "I'm alright...just waiting for take-off."

The ursid nodded, taking in a breath as he held his head up to the stars. "You'll like sailing. If t'ere's anythin' that can free a person, it's t'e Etherium," he remarked with a small smile. Anna nodded, returning the gesture. 

"Well...in any case, somethin' warm'll help yer spirits. How about we go ta the galley fer cocoa?" Silver offered. The girl nodded. "That sounds great. Thanks, Silver," she said as they turned to the stairs.

"Anytime, lass. Anytime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:
> 
> Anna remembers Andrew: Track 13
> 
> Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8ZbufwaYU-kuj9IXPShFyRQr9AiDMIh


End file.
